Evaluation of the nutritional status of 1st-year school children in Campinas, Brazil.
We present findings from a study of nutritional status amongst 1st year primary school children in Brazil. The study was based on a 10% stratified random sample of children in Campinas, Sao Paulo State. The primary schools in the city were grouped into four socio-economic strata (high, medium, low and very low) based on the type of school maintenance (private or maintained by the local or by the State government) and the socio-economic characteristics of the school's catchment area. The nutritional status of 1942 children was assessed by looking at the distributions of z-scores of weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height in relation to growth charts of the National Center for Health Statistics reference population. In the overall population, 22% of the children were found to be stunted (z-score of height-for-age less than -1.0), 15% wasted (z-score of weight-for-height less than -1.0), 22% underweight (z-score of weight-for-age less than -1.0) and 5% overweight (z-score of weight-for-height greater than 2.0). These figures represent an excess of 6% of stunted children and also 6% of underweight children in comparison with the expected values in the NCHS reference population, and an excess of 2% overweight. The data were analysed by age, sex, ethnic group and socio-economic level. Both stunting and low weight-for-age were observed in 32% of children from the very low socio-economic level, with the highest percentages amongst the oldest children. A total of 11.6% of children from the high socio-economic stratum were obese. These results emphasize the need for different programmes to deal with nutritional problems in different groups of the population.
Barros
A A
AA
Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Barros
M B
MB
Maude
G H
GH
Ross
D A
DA
Davies
P S
PS
Preece
M A
MA
D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity; D011897:Random Allocation; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors