Abstract:
In India there is wide spread misconception that, tobacco is good for teeth,so prevalence of
application of tobacco products as dentrifice is commonly seen.Objectives: 1.To assess the prevalence of
mishri use in adolescent girls of community adopted under UHTC,Karad.2.To study the factors associated
with and implications of mishri use on nutritional status of adolescent girls.Materials and Methods: A cross
sectional study was carried out in the population covered by the Urban Health Training Centre, Department
of Community Medicine, K.I.M.S., Karad, Maharashtra, India. All adolescent girls in the age group of 10 to
19 years were interviewed by house to house survey. The data was collected using pretested structured
proforma.Dietary intake was assessed using 24 hour recall method.Haemoglobin was estimated by Sahli’s
haemoglobinometer and statistical analysis was undertaken using SPSS 16 software.Results: Significantly
higher proportion (83.8%)of mishri users were in late adolescence. Mishri use in mothers was associated with
mishri use in daughters(x2=3.73 ,d.f.=1,p<0.053).Majority of adolescents using Mishri were non enrolled in
the school or were school dropouts.All mishri users had mild to moderate anemia.No significant difference
was observed in mean height,weight,BMI as well as intake of calorie,protein and iron intake among users
and non users of mishriConclusion:Mishri use was more in late adolescent age group, in those who were not
enrolled in school,among school drop outs and whose mothers were mishri users. Use of mishri was not
found to have effect on the dietary intake and growth. However moderate anemia was more.
