Iron status of inner-city elementary school children: lack of correlation between anemia and iron deficiency

The iron status of 103 inner-city third and fourth graders was evaluated. These children had significantly lower hemoglobin concentrations and significantly higher serum ferritin concentrations than values previously reported. Mean erythrocyte protoporphyrin concentrations agree with previous results whereas mean corpuscular volume was significantly lower than in some previous studies. Though 11 children (10.7%) were anemic, only 1 anemic child had another abnormal measure of iron status. Three children (2.9%) had a low serum ferritin concentration along with another abnormal measure of iron status. Four children (3.9%) had at least two abnormal measurements of iron status without an elevated blood lead concentration. These results agree with recent observations of decreasing rates of anemia in preschool children. The poor utility of hemoglobin measures to identify iron-deficient children suggests the need for alternate screening methods, and the relatively high serum ferritin concentration suggests a trend of rising iron stores in school-age children.     

Nutrition knowledge, attitude, and behavior of Taiwanese elementary school children

The purpose of this study is to understand nutrition knowledge, attitude, and behavior in Taiwanese elementary school children, and the relationship of these various components. The results indicated that children's knowledge was fair in nutrition basics, but poor in 'the physiological function of nutrients', 'relationships between diet/nutrients and disease', and 'the daily serving requirement for different food groups'. Children in general valued the importance of nutrition, but they did not concern the health benefit of foods in food selections. Their dietary quality was not satisfactory, and the diet of most children did not meet the recommended serving requirements for milk, vegetable, fruit, and cereals and grains groups. Positive relationships were found among nutrition knowledge, attitude, caring- about-nutrition behavior and dietary quality score. The restraint or disinhibited eating behavior of 4th to 6th graders was not serious, but a large number of children already performed some self-controlling practices to avoid obesity, but not frequently. One fourth of the students skipped meals, especially breakfast, and one quarter of 4th to 6th graders prepared their own breakfast; which may have some impact on children's diet quality. A gap was found between nutrition knowledge, attitude and eating behavior, especially vegetable and fruit consumption, indicating that the attitude toward eating for health was not strong in this age group. Future nutrition education for school children should not only include food serving requirements of food groups, but also apply appropriate theories to improve the motivation for healthy eating.     

Magnesium status and association with diabetes in the Taiwanese elderly

The average dietary intake of magnesium is below recommended dietary allowances in many affluent Western countries. Prolonged low magnesium intake tends to result in hypomagnesaemia which might increase the risk of chronic diseases in elderly people. A national population-based cross-sectional nutrition survey, the Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan (1999-2000), was used to investigate the magnesium status and association with diabetes in the Taiwanese elderly. Dietary magnesium intake was based on 24-hour dietary recalls. Blood biochemical parameters including plasma magnesium and blood glucose were also measured. Average magnesium intake was 250 mg in men and 216 mg in women, which is equivalent to 68-70% of relevant Taiwanese Dietary Reference Intakes. The mean plasma magnesium concentration was 0.903 mmol/L in men and 0.906 mmol/L in women. The prevalence of a plasma magnesium level of <0.7 mmol/L was 0.7-0.9% in the elderly, and that of <0.8 mmol/L was 8.0-9.1%. Elderly vegans had a significantly lower magnesium intake than ovo-lacto vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Diabetic men and women had significantly higher blood glucose levels than non-diabetics. The risk of diabetes was elevated 3.25 times at plasma magnesium levels<0.863 mmol/L. There was an inverse association between plasma magnesium concentration and the prevalence of diabetes. However, no association was found between diabetes and low dietary magnesium. Taiwanese elderly persons had suboptimal levels of dietary magnesium intake, which although may be sufficient to avoid overt magnesium deficiency, may not be sufficient to reduce the risk of diabetes in the elderly. Further prospective study is required to help explain the differential results between dietary and plasma magnesium levels.     

The prevalence of asthma in children of elementary school age in Western New York

To determine the prevalence of caregiver-reported asthma in children 4 to 13 years old in metropolitan western New York State, surveys were conducted during 1997–1999 in the Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Iroquois, and Gowanda school systems. Questionaires (3,889) were sent to the homes of elementary school children in nine schools in western New York. The caregivers were asked to complete a 13-item questionnaire for the child. Of the questionnaires, 60.5% (2,353/3,889) were completed. Of all children, 18% had physician-diagnosed asthma. Of children diagnosed with asthma, 86% were taking medication. Symptoms were consistent with suspected undiagnosed asthma for 13% of the children. Buffalo had the highest rate of diagnosed asthma (20%) for the age group. Gowanda had a prevalence of 18%, Iroquois 16%, and Niagara Falls 15%. Variations were observed in asthma prevalence rates among different racial/ ethnic groups. In general, boys had a significantly (P=.001) increased odds of being asthmatic compared with girls. Overall, African-Americans and Hispanic/Latino children had significantly (P=.012 andP=.005, respectively) higher asthma prevalence rates, two to five times those of their Caucasian peers. In Gowanda, the prevalence of diagnosed asthma among Native American children was 23%, compared to 15% among Caucasian children. Of diagnosed Native American children, 71% were female. In Gowanda, a significant association (P=.007) of asthma among children in split-grade classes was observed compared to nonsplit grades. Of Native American children in split grades, 60% were diagnosed asthmatics. These observations reveal a high prevalence of asthma in the age group of 4 to 13 year olds in western New York. Local variations in potential triggers of asthma need to be considered when advising asthmatics. The results suggest that some grades have a disproportionate amount of children with asthma. The implications of asthma for children's early education need to be examined further. This project was supported in part by a grant from Kaleida Health Foundations.     

城市农民工学校小学生欺负行为与自感校园社会心理环境的关联研究

【目的】 调查城市民办农民工学校小学生的校园欺负行为发生现状,并探究与其校园社会心理环境因素的关联。 【方法】 在上海市5所民办农民工小学中以班级为单位随机整群抽取四、五年级共511名学生,利用自填问卷方式了解其现在和曾经的欺负与被欺负行为、自感校园社会心理环境及烦恼等情况。 【结果】 曾经有过被欺负经历的学生比例达28%,现在(本学期)受欺负的报告率为5.5%。不同卷入欺负事件类型的学生的“不安全感”、“自感学校斗殴频繁”、认为“教师歧视成绩差学生”的比例均显著高于与未卷入欺负行为学生,且烦恼得分也显著高于未卷入学生。 【结论】 城市民办农民工学校小学生的欺负行为与校园社会心理环境因素密切相关,应加强校园良好人际关系的干预,减少和杜绝校园欺负行为。     

Goiter and iodine deficiency in Veneto: study on 6285 elementary and media school children

The aim of this paper was to determine goiter prevalence and urinary iodine excretion in the Veneto region. An extensive epidemiological survey was carried out in school-aged children visiting 6285 students and testing 1861 urinary samples. A goiter prevalence of 8.8% was found: 7.7% of grade 1A and 1.1% 1B; in the pre-mountainous area the prevalence was higher than 10% (11.7% in the Treviso and 12.7% in the Vicenza area). Urinary iodine excretion was less than 100 micrograms/Cr in about 45% of all examined children with a peak of 20% under 50 micrograms/Cr in the Vicenza district. According to the WHO criteria, the goiter prevalence in the Veneto can be considered under the limits of the epidemic standards. However the use of iodized salt seems advisable also in this area.     

中小学生坚果摄入行为及其与肥胖的关联

目的 探讨我国中、小学生坚果摄入现状及其与肥胖发生的关联。方法 2012年11月,采用方便样本整群抽样的方法选取北京、湖南、宁夏3个省市的城市和农村中、小学校19所,使用自填式结构问卷收集学生过去一周食用坚果的情况(一周几把)。通过学校体检记录和现场测量两种方式获得身高、体重数据,采用生物电阻抗体成分测量仪MC-980(TANITA,中国广州东莞百利达健康器材有限公司生产)测量部分超重肥胖儿童的体脂肪率。采用多因素Logistic回归方法,在控制地区、城乡、性别、年级、父母受教育程度和家庭经济情况等因素的影响后,分析坚果摄入行为与肥胖发生的关系。结果 4 164名9~18岁儿童少年提供合格问卷。平均年龄(13.2±2.4)岁,平均体质指数(body mass index,BMI)(21.0±4.5)kg/m²。超重肥胖者占36.3%,超重肥胖儿童平均体脂率(fat%):(35.2±7.8)%。过去一周吃过坚果的比例为70.3%。儿童过去一周没吃坚果者超重肥胖发生率明显高于吃坚果者(P<0.05),而每天吃坚果的多少与肥胖发生率未见明显剂量-反应关系(P>0.05)。Logistic多元回归分析结果发现:每天摄入坚果1把及以上,发生超重肥胖的危险性是过去一周没吃坚果学生的0.75倍(95%CI:0.61～0.92)。结论 不吃坚果是儿童少年发生超重肥胖的独立危险因素。     

Factors associated with asthma in school children

To investigate the factors associated with asthma in school children, a case-control study of 203 asthmatic and 203 non-asthmatic children (103 males and 100 females in each group) aged 6 to 18 years, was organized during the period September 1992 to May 1993 in Al Ain city, United Arab Emirates. Cases comprised known asthmatic children who were regularly receiving medication for asthma and were confirmed as asthmatics by a physician. Cases and controls were matched by age and sex. A questionnaire was used to obtain information about respiratory illnesses (pneumonia, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, sinusitis and croup); atopy (allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis) and familial allergic diseases (parental asthma and atopy). Information about socioeconomic status and limitations to children as a result of asthma were also obtained. Logistic regression analysis showed that bronchitis, atopy (allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis), croup, parental asthma and parental atopic dermatitis were significant risk factors for childhood asthma after adjusting for other confounding covariates. The model also showed that parental asthma (p < 0.0001) is much more influential than parental atopic dermatitis (p = 0.01) as a risk factor for asthma. Although pneumonia and sinusitis were significant risk factors when analyzed univariately, they were not significant after adjusting for other covariates. Bronchiolitis, smoking and socioeconomic status were beyond the reach of statistical significance as risk factors to asthma in our sample.     

Daily number of accidental injuries among elementary school children and school size factors in elementary schools

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to clarify the association between the daily number of accidental injuries and school size factors in elementary schools. METHODS: The accidental injuries that occurred during the school day among elementary school children were investigated in twenty-one schools for two-month periods (from October to November) in 1999 and 2004. The relationship between the number of accidental injuries and school size factors (i.e. the numbers of school children and children per class) was analyzed by nonlinear regression analysis. The number of children injured and the frequency of accidental injuries were evaluated by school size. RESULTS: The ratio of the average number of injuries to all injuries was 1.79 per 100 children per day. The number of injuries in the small-sized schools was 2.36 per 100 children per day, and were respectively 1.29 and 1.57 in the middle- and large-sized schools. The number of injuries was small in middle-sized schools. As a result of the nonlinear regression analysis, a statistically significant quadratic equation was provided between the number of injuries per 100 children per day and the number of children per class. The number of injuries showed a minimum value for 26.7 children per class. The number of children injured during the investigation period was larger in the small-sized schools. In the small-sized schools, in comparison with the middle- and large-sized schools, the number of accidental injuries was smaller for boys. In the large-sized schools, there were more injuries inside the school building and during the lesson break times. CONCLUSION: large. In addition, it is suggested that the number of children injured was larger in small-sized schools.     

Prevention of obesity in elementary and nursery school children

In order to control obesity in children a longitudinal study has been carried out, basedon a continuous and qualified health education programme. A total of 1321 children of three different schools have been considered:-MA school: Multi-media Action school; WA school: Written Action school; C school: Control school. At time 0, the distribution of the population in height-weight classes was determined through the modified Body Mass Index. At that time, a mean of 11·7% obese, 24·4% overweight and 19·7% underweight children was noted. After one year of intervention, the situation in the three schools was as follows:-MA school: obese decrease=12·2%; overweight decrease=12·1%; WA school and C school: no significant change in comparison with time 0. The results obtained prove the efficacy of the multi-media action and, on the other hand, call for a more detailed study as regards the school where neither a direct intervention nor audiovisual aids have been used.     

The association between community stressors and asthma prevalence of school children in Winnipeg, Canada

It is generally surmised that community stressors have an incubating effect for a variety of diagnoses on maternal and child health. This is of public health significance, as children of mothers facing long-term distress were found to have a 60% higher risk for asthma diagnosis at age 7 in Manitoba, Canada. Our objective was to determine the association of community stressors with childhood asthma prevalence in Winnipeg, Canada from participants who completed the Study of Asthma, Genes and the Environment (SAGE) survey administered in 2002-2003 to a birth cohort from 1995. Measures of community socioeconomic makeup and community disorder with rank ordinalized by quintile at the census tract level were obtained from the 1996 Canada Census. Crime data (annual incidence per 10,000 persons) by neighbourhood profile for 2001 was provided by the Winnipeg Police Service. Dichotomous caregiver report of child asthma along with other indicators from the geocoded SAGE survey allowed linkage to 23 neighbourhood profiles. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the effect of community stressors on childhood asthma prevalence for birth and non-birth home children (N = 1472) and children resident of birth homes at age 7 or 8 (N = 698). After adjusting for individual risk factors, children resident of birth homes in a high thefts over $5,000 neighbourhood profile were twice as likely (Adjusted OR, 2.05; 95% CI, 1.11-3.81) to have report of asthma compared to children in a lower thefts over $5,000 profile, with community thefts over $5,000 explaining over half of the observed neighbourhood variation in asthma.     

Prevalence and association between obesity and metabolic syndrome among Chinese elementary school children: a school-based survey

Background  

China has experienced an increase in the prevalence of childhood overweight/obesity over the last decades. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome among Chinese school children and determine if there is a significant association between childhood obesity and metabolic syndrome.     

Risk of asthma associated with energy-dense but nutrient-poor dietary pattern in Taiwanese children

Childhood asthma has rapidly increased over the past few decades, possibly due to changes in lifestyle and dietary patterns. We aimed to determine associations between dietary patterns and asthma in schoolchildren in Taiwan. The Nutrition and Health survey in Taiwan Elementary School Children was carried out by using a multi-staged complex sampling design. A total of 2,082 elementary school children with complete data on dietary, lifestyle, demographics and asthma were included in the analysis. We used a Chinese version of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire to generate an asthma symptom score and to define asthma outcomes. Dietary intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Reduced rank regression (RRR) was used to identify the dietary pattern associated with the asthma symptoms score. Asthma outcomes included; current asthma, current severe asthma, nocturnal cough, exercise-induced wheeze and asthma ever. The RRR-derived dietary pattern was characterized by high consumption of fast foods, high-fat snacks, candy, and cheese; and low consumption of fruit, vegetables and rice. The RRR-derived dietary pattern was associated with an increased risk of current asthma (OR [95% CI]) (2.42 [1.19-4.93] for Q4/Q1, p-for-trend=0.01), current severe asthma (3.21 [1.11-9.25] for Q3/Q1, 4.45 [1.59-12.5] for Q4/Q1; p-for-trend=0.003), and nocturnal cough (1.79 [1.06-3.05] for Q2/Q1, 1.74 [1.02-2.97] for Q3/Q1, 1.82 [1.07-3.11] for Q4/Q1; p-for-trend=0.049). Our results suggest that a diet with a high intake of fat and simple sugars and low intake of fruit, vegetables and rice is associated with an increased risk of asthma in Taiwanese children.     

Obesity among school children in a province of southern Thailand and its association with socioeconomic status

The association of nutrition status of children aged 7–12 years (n=663) with socioeconomic factors in a province of southern Thailand in 1995 was investigated. Three type of schools were surveyed: a school with a higher educational standard (elite school) in the municipality of the province, a school with many children from low-income families (low-income school) in the same municipality, and five ordinary schools in rural areas of the province (district schools). The proportions of obese children were 22.1%, 5.8% and 2.7%, respectively for the three type of schools, when obesity was defined as weight to height of over 120% of the median of children in Bangkok. The risk ratios and 95% confidence intervals for obesity in the elite and the low-income schools were 5.0 (3.5–7.2) and 1.9 (0.8–4.8), respectively, taking the district schools as a reference. Our research suggested that the high prevalence of obesity among elite-school children could be related to the comparatively high socioeconomic status of the children’s families. It also shows that the children in the province studied were as a whole considerably leaner than children in the big cities of Thailand. These results imply a need for appropriate interventions which cannot only prevent obesity, but also improve the malnutrition of school children in the rural provinces of southern Thailand.     

Prevalence of exercise-induced asthma in school children

BACKGROUND: Although asthma is the most common pulmonary condition in pediatrics, the incidence of exercise-induced asthma (EIA) in school children is not well documented and few studies have been devoted to the condition. There are considerable variations in morbidity and mortality between countries. This study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of EIA in children in the 6th grade (11-14 year-olds) in one French department (Haute-Vienne) and to identify undiagnosed cases. METHODS: The representative sample was obtained over a period of 28 days (February 2(nd) to April 10(th) 1998) by cluster sampling method, stratified by size of the schools. The number of subjects planned was 891. The selected children filled in a questionnaire on their asthma history and were subjected to an outdoor exercise test (6 minute run). Respiratory function was measured with a peak flow-meter. RESULTS: Seven hundred and eighty two school children were included in this survey. Participation rate was 87.8%. The prevalence of asthma from the questionnaire was 10.7% (CI 95%: 8.7 - 12.8). After exercise, 68 school children presented exercise-induced bronchospasm: the prevalence of the EIA was 8.7% (CI 95%: 6.9 - 10.5). Among these 68 school children, 27 were known asthmatics and 41 were not. With the 10 treated asthmatics, the overall prevalence of EIA was therefore estimated at 9.9% (CI 95%: 8.2 - 11.7). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of asthma and EIA was close to that found in other studies using a similar methodology. EIA remains under-diagnosed since 41 undeclared asthmatic school children were identified in our population. Nurses'information is necessary to initiate the use of systematically testing respiratory function (with a peak flow meter) at least once a year. Efficient management of the asthmatic child requires cooperation between the various professionals dealing with school children.     

Physical self-concept and physical activity enjoyment in elementary school children

The present study examined gender differences and relationships of seven specific domains of physical self-concept (PSC) (Strength, Endurance, Speed, Flexibility, Coordination, Global Sport Competence, and Appearance) and physical activity enjoyment (PAE) in 447 elementary school children by self-report questionnaires. Boys reported higher self-concepts of Strength, Endurance, Speed, Coordination, and Global Sport Competence than girls. Conversely, girls showed higher self-concepts of Flexibility than boys. Moreover, all seven specific domains of children's PSC and PAE were positively interrelated and children's self-concepts of Endurance and Global Sport Competence predicted their PAE. Implications for physical education targeting to enhance children's PSC and PAE are discussed.     

Parental input and weight concerns among elementary school children

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relative contributions of mother's and father's direct comments about child's weight and modeling of weight concerns through their own behavior on child's body esteem, weight-related concerns, and weight loss attempts. METHOD: Parents, 131 mothers and 89 fathers, of fourth and fifth grade boys and girls completed a brief survey which included measures of their own dieting attempts, concerns about their own shape, complaints about their own shape, and beliefs about calorie-restrictive dieting as well as the frequency of their comments to their child about the child's weight. Children were surveyed using the Body Esteem Scale as well as questions about their weight-related concerns and weight loss attempts. RESULTS: Direct parental comments, especially by the mother, seemed to be more powerful influences than parental modeling of weight and shape concerns, although parental modeling did affect the child's beliefs and behaviors. Girls appeared to be more affected than did boys. DISCUSSION: Parental comments and modeling do appear to affect elementary school children's weight and shape-related attitudes and behaviors. Such parental behavior may be an appropriate target in prevention programs.     

The association between contextual socioeconomic factors and prevalent asthma in a cohort of Southern California school children

Spatial variation in childhood asthma and a recent increase in prevalence indicate that environmental factors play a significant role in the etiology of this important disease. Socioeconomic position (SEP) has been associated inversely and positively with childhood asthma. These contradictory results indicate a need for systematic research about SEP and asthma. Pathways have been suggested for effects of SEP on asthma at both the individual and community level. We examined the relationship of prevalent asthma to community-level indicators of SEP among 5762 children in 12 Southern California communities, using a multilevel random effects model. Estimates of community-level SEP were derived by summarizing census block group-level data using a novel method of weighting by the proportion of the block groups included in a community-specific bounding rectangle that contained 95% of local study subjects. Community characteristics included measures of male unemployment, household income, low education (i.e., no high school diploma) and poverty. There was a consistent inverse association between male unemployment and asthma across the inter-quartile range of community unemployment rates, indicating that asthma rates increase as community SEP increases. The results were robust to individual-level confounding, methods for summarizing census block group data to the community level, scale of analysis (i.e., community-level vs. neighborhood-level) and the modeling algorithm. The positive association between SEP and prevalent childhood asthma might be explained by differential access to medical care that remains unmeasured, by the hygiene hypothesis (e.g., lower SES may associate with higher protective exposures to endotoxin in early life), or by SEP acting as a proxy for unmeasured neighborhood characteristics.