Vol. 7, Issue 8, Part L (2025)

The present study assessed the dietary patterns and anthropometric measurements of urban school-going children (10-12 years) in Ludhiana district. A total of 400 children were surveyed, comprising 57.5% boys and 42.5% girls. Socio-economic profiling revealed that the majority (62.5%) belonged to the scheduled caste, 60.0% lived in nuclear families, and 58.0% were from low-income households. Most families (88.0%) followed a vegetarian diet, with wheat as the staple cereal, while rice, pulses, green leafy vegetables, and fruits were consumed infrequently. Milk, curd, buttermilk, and ghee formed the primary animal-origin foods. The consumption of protective foods such as fruits and green leafy vegetables was low, reflecting dietary imbalance. Anthropometric assessment showed that boys had significantly higher mean values than girls for height (129.27 cm vs. 123.45 cm; p<0.01), weight (29.11 kg vs. 29.08 kg; p≤0.05), mid-upper arm circumference (21.09 cm vs. 19.53 cm; p<0.01), waist circumference (57.78 cm vs. 55.95 cm; p<0.01), and waist-to-hip ratio (0.90 vs. 0.86; p<0.01). No significant gender difference was observed in BMI and hip circumference. The findings highlight socio-economic disparities, predominance of vegetarian diets, limited intake of nutrient-dense foods, and gender variations in growth indicators, emphasizing the need for nutrition awareness and intervention programs to improve the dietary diversity and nutritional status of urban school children.