title: Nutritional status of primary school children in Abbottabad.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Abbottabad district, with the vast poverty stricken rural majority and 80% literacy rate, primary-level education faces great influx of students. This study was carried out to see the nutritional status of children 5-10 years of age attending primary schools of Abbottabad.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out in June 2009 on 400 schoolchildren of 5-10 years of age from three randomly selected primary schools of Abbottabad. After informed consent by the parents/ teachers, a semi-structured Performa/questionnaire was filled for each child. Anthropometric measurements were recorded. Correlation of age of the child with height, and weight was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nutritional status of the study children was particularly optimum; 90% children were in optimal nutritional status and had sound skeletal growth irrespective of their socioeconomic background. There was a significant correlation of nutritional status and skeletal growth of children with parents socioeconomic status. There was a direct correlation between height and weight of children, and their age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Anthropometric measurements indicate a high majority of children in healthy status despite the overall poor setup.
authors.forename: Saadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siddique
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ayub
authors.forename: Najla
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shore
authors.forename: Usman
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Tariq
authors.forename: Shakila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zaman
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D010154:Pakistan; D012923:Social Class