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Abstract：
Background Special needs children have various health problems, and the most common problems are nutritional deficiency and malnourishment which leads to increased morbidity affecting their quality of life. This study aims to assess the nutritional status and health-seeking behaviour of special needs children. Methods The study was conducted among 46 special needs children at a special needs children\'s home. After collecting basic sociodemographic details, they were assessed for nutritional status and health-seeking behaviour using a semi-structured questionnaire followed by general and clinical examination. Results Out of these 46 special needs children, 69.6% were male and 30.4% were female. The mean age was 11.69±4.62 years. In this study, 65.22% were underweight; 6.52% were overweight; 10.87% were obese I; 4.35% were obese III; 13.04% were normal. Among them, 37% seek Government healthcare facilities for their healthcare needs. Referral advice was provided to all required children. Conclusion A high proportion of the special needs children were screened positive for nutritional deficiency and malnourishment which needs to be addressed. Interventions should be aimed at correcting the nutritional deficiency and malnourishment by involving the caretakers, mainly mothers of these children.
摘要：
背景有特殊需要的儿童有各种健康问题，最常见的问题是营养缺乏和营养不良，这导致发病率增加，影响他们的生活质量。这项研究旨在评估特殊需要儿童的营养状况和寻求健康的行为。方法本研究是在一个特殊需要儿童家庭中对46名特殊需要儿童进行的。收集了基本的社会人口统计信息后，我们使用半结构化问卷,然后进行一般和临床检查,评估他们的营养状况和寻求健康行为.结果在这46名特殊需要儿童中，69.6%为男性，30.4%为女性。平均年龄为11.69±4.62岁。在这项研究中,体重不足65.22%;超重6.52%;肥胖I型10.87%;肥胖III型4.35%;正常13.04%。其中,37%的人寻求政府医疗设施来满足他们的医疗需求。向所有需要的儿童提供了转诊建议。结论高比例的特殊需求儿童被筛查为营养缺乏和营养不良，需要解决。干预措施应旨在通过让看护者参与来纠正营养缺乏和营养不良，主要是这些孩子的母亲。
