Height of a population is affected by both genetic and environmental factors including nutrition and socioeconomic background. Dietary habits, patterns and quality of food consumptions depend on socioeconomic condition. Prevalence of low height-for-age or stunting is high in low and middle-income countries. The aim of the present study was to identify the association of height with macronutrients in diet (protein, lipid, carbohydrate) and selected household socioeconomic factors in 16 to18-year-old boys and girls of Limbu and Mech communities from Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in West Bengal, India. The study was cross-sectional. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to draw meaningful interpretation of the association between socioeconomic variables and height of 335 adolescents of Limbu (75 boys, 89 girls) and Mech (77 boys, 94 girls) communities. Socioeconomic parameters such as monthly household per capita income and expenditure (MHPCIE) and household characteristics (HC) were two extracted components by PCA. The PCA exhibited 70.96% variance of data on socioeconomic parameters, explained by MHPCIE and HC among other components. A linear regression model was used to observe the interrelationships between acronutrients in diet (consumption rates of protein, lipid, and carbohydrate) and selected socioeconomic parameters (MHPCIE, HC, and mother’s occupation) with height. Results showed height significantly varied in boys and girls from two communities. Macronutrient consumption rates and HC did not show significant interrelationships with height. However, height had significant association with MHPCIE and mother's occupation (housewife versus working mother). In conclusion, the present study revealed that socioeconomic factors had more association with height than macronutrient consumptions in diet. Height of the participants from the households with higher MHPCIE were taller than others. Children of working mothers were taller than those of housewife mothers.

Biological Anthropology Unit Indian Statistical Institute Kolkata India

Department of Anthropology Vidyasagar University? Midnapore West Bengal India

Department of Human Ecology Cinvestav del IPN Merida Yucatan Mexico

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