title: Distribution of body mass index categories among Polish children and adolescents from rural and urban areas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate differences in nutritional status of school-aged children and adolescents depending on school localization (urban/rural), school level (elementary/middle) and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  Results of current health survey 'Elaboration of the reference range of arterial blood pressure for the population of children and adolescents in Poland' - PL0080 OLAF were used in the analysis. Data were analysed by SAS. 9.2 for Windows, EpiInfo 3.5.1 and LMSgrowth. The frequency and the Odds Ratio of underweight, overweight, obesity and normal weight were calculated by school localization, school level and gender.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 13 129 pupils were used in the analysis: 5 118 from elementary schools in urban areas, 3638 from elementary schools in rural areas, 2792 from middle schools in urban areas and 1581 from middle schools in rural areas. The frequency of normal weight was lower in urban compared with rural elementary schools (67.2% vs 70.0%; OR=0.88; p=0.005). The frequency of underweight, overweight and obesity was higher in urban compared with rural elementary schools, both boys and girls. The frequency of obesity was higher in urban middle schools than rural (3.0% vs 1.6%; OR=1.88; p=0.006). In the case of boys, statistically significant difference in frequency of overweight and obesity (together) was noted in urban middle schools compared to rural middle schools (16.7% vs 11.9%; OR=1.48; p=0.003). In the case of girls, the frequency of underweight was lower in urban compared with rural middle schools (12.7% vs 15.9%; OR= 0.77; p=0.032).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowing differences in the nutritional status between pupils in urban and rural areas gives the opportunity to modify nutritional education programmes depending on needs identified in the particular type of area and target groups. In urban regions, in both elementary and middle schools, boys are a risk group for excess body weight, and require more attention in preventive undertakings. In rural areas, girls in middle schools should be targeted for preventive measures dealing with underweight.
authors: The Children's Memorial Health Institute, Public Health Division, Warszawa. zdrowie.publiczne@czd.pl
authors: Beata
authors: B
authors: Gurzkowska
authors: Aneta
authors: A
authors: Grajda
authors: Zbigniew
authors: Z
authors: Kułaga
authors: Ewelina
authors: E
authors: Napieralska
authors: Mieczysław
authors: M
authors: Litwin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*