ABSTRACT

Background: A cross-sectional study was conducted over six months at Vignan Pharmacy College to evaluate the prevalence and consequences of malnutrition in the adult population. A total of 1,688 participants were enrolled, comprising 1,346 online and 342 offline respondents. The inclusion criteria were adults aged 18–30 years of either sex who were able to provide informed consent. Exclusion criteria included individuals with severe cognitive impairments preventing consent and those with terminal illnesses where nutritional status was not a significant prognostic factor. Results: The study revealed that symptoms of malnutrition were highly prevalent among the participants. The most commonly reported issues were exhaustion (72.4%), weakness (65.1%), loss of appetite (45.3%), and unintentional weight loss (59.8%). Nutritional deficiencies were also widespread, with iron deficiency anemia being the most common (30.7%), followed by vitamin D deficiency (22.1%), protein-energy malnutrition (18.5%), and chronic fatigue syndrome (16.2%). Various treatment methods were employed to address malnutrition, including nutritional supplements (45.8%), dietary modifications (25.2%), and nutritional counselling (38.6%). Among these, supplementation emerged as the most effective intervention, with 68.4% of individuals who received supplements reporting significant improvement in their condition.Conclusion: This study demonstrates that malnutrition is a notable health concern among adults aged 18–30. Fatigue, weakness, and key nutrient deficiencies especially iron and vitamin D were the most prevalent outcomes. While supplementation showed promising results, further research is required to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of treatment options and better understand the association between malnutrition and chronic illnesses. Keywords: Undernutrition, overnutrition, micronutrient, macronutrient, chronic malnutrition
Publication date: 01/08/2026

https://www.ijbpas.com/pdf/2026/August/MS_IJBPAS_2026_10219.pdf

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https://doi.org/10.31032/IJBPAS/2026/15.8.10219