Nutritional status of primary school children in a rural area of Lucknow

Summary A study of the nutritional status of 812 rural primary school children from 6 to 15 years of age is presented. Most of the children came from the large low socio-economic group of rural families. The diet in a sample of 45 families was deficient in all nutrients except carbohydrates, iron and thiamine and yielded only 2,390 calories per consumption unit. The height and weight average in the various age groups of the two sexes were comparable with those of the all India I.C.M.R. study except in the growth spurt period where they fell much below the all India I.C.M.R. figures. 77.1 per cent of the children suffered from malnutrition. Signs of protein-calorie deficiency were found in 60.8 per cent of vitamin A deficiency in 46.3, of vitamin D/calcium lack and of essential fatty acids in 10.3 per cent each. Malnutrition had a dampening effect on their growth potential particularly during the spurt period. Dental caries was seen in 48.9 per cent, peridontial disease in 83 per cent and mottling in 16.3 per cent. 23 per cent stools were positive for ankylostomiasis. Only 2 per cent had a good physique whereas 39.9 per cent had fair and 58.1 per cent had poor physique. From the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, King George’s Medical College, Lucknow.     

Physical growth measurements of 18,719 primary school children living in Adana, Turkey

Height and weight measurements of 18,719 healthy children were obtained and the results were compared with those obtained from children living in several regions of Turkey and the USA. The results of these measurements differed significantly. This study demonstrates that local growth standards should be established and used in the evaluation of children.     

Physical growth of school children in Delhi

Summary In a cross sectional and semilongitudinal anthropometric study of 550 healthy school age children from class 1 socio-economic group, it was observed that given appropriate nutritional and health support in a good environment, Indian children were capable of achieving better standards of growth than their counterparts in not so good a milieu. The data were recorded meticulously within a week of the exact points in age. The velocity of growth was nearly identical in boys and girls from the age of 5 to 7 1/2 years. Thereafter the growth in girls was higher than in boys till the age of 11–11 1/2 years and was nearly equal between 12–12 1/2 years. Subsequently the boys gained weight and height more rapidly. The maximum weight gain in both boys and girls occurred between 12–12 1/2 years. Gain in height was most marked between 12–12 1/2 years in girls and 13–13 1/2 years in boys. Pubertal spurt occurred earlier in girls. From the Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-16.     

A semi-longitudinal study on physical growth of primary school children in Delhi

Summary Anthropometric measurements of weight, standing height, sitting height and circumference of head, chest, upper-arm and calf of primary school children (5–10 years) in Delhi are presented. The differences in the growth pattern of boys and girls are brought out. The growth pattern of of children in relation to different socio-economic classes is discussed. From the Survey on Morbidity and Mortality, Growth and Development and Nutritional Status of Primary School Children at Delhi, under Indian Council of Medical Research. Postal Address: Flat 32, Shankar Market, New Delhi-1.     

Leprosy among primary school children

Of the 6371 Primary School children examined at Vridhachalam Taluk (Tamilnadu), 173 (2.7%) were found to have leprosy. The sex ratio in the affected group of boys and girls was 3: 2. over ninety percent of the cases had tuberculoid leprosy and only 0.5 percent had lepromatus leprosy. History of contact with leprosy was present in 450 (7%) children. This includes the 173 who had clinical manifestations. Thirtyone parents of the 173 afficted children were literates. Fourteen of them knew that their children were suffering from leprosy.     

Standards for growth in prepubertal primary school Kuwaiti children, a cross-sectional study

In a cross-sectional study, anthropometric measurements were made in Kuwaiti primary school children aged six to nine years. The sample included 6765 children, of whom there were 3534 boys and 3231 girls. A minimum of 400 children were included in each of the 16 age-sex groups studied. Anthropometric data are presented as percentiles for weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height. The results were smoothed and figures were constructed for the three growth standards. A comparison between locally constructed standards and a Western reference growth standard (Tanner et al.) revealed marked similarities in attainable growth. We think that the Western reference standards are suitable for use in Kuwait and probably in other similar developing countries, and the setting of lower targets for those countries is not recommended.