An anthropometric study of young schoolchildren in an area of Cape Town.
A survey of the weights and heights of 896 Sub A (Grade I) schoolchildren was carried out in a working-class area of Cape Town where education is compulsory. Twenty-four per cent of all children were under the National Center for Health Statistics 5th percentile for weight and 20% were under that for height. The children under 7 1/2 years of age were felt to be truly representative of the community as a whole. For this group the proportions below the 5th percentile were 22% for weight and 18% for height. This relatively favourable picture is compared with earlier studies.
D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D013019:South Africa