Migration, agribusiness and nutritional status of children under five in Northwest Mexico

The aim of this study was to examine the nutritional status of children of Mexican migrant worker families under five years of age within the context of global food markets. The sample included 404 children less than five years old from farms and agricultural communities in northwest Mexico. Prevalence of stunting and underweight of children appeared very similar to that of indigenous children from the national sample survey (difference 0.9 and 1.6 percentage points, respectively). Compared to the national sample of Mexican children, stunting and underweight seemed higher in migrant children (difference 17.7 and 4.5 percentage points, respectively), but wasting, an indicator of both chronic and acute undernutrition, appeared to indicate a process of nutritional recuperation. Migrant children living in poverty and suffering from chronic undernutrition, poor performance and scarce education opportunities, can be expected to eventually become agricultural workers with low productivity and poor general health. Consumer's demands on social and environmental standards of fresh food production in developed countries could be an opportunity to impact the lives of migrant agricultural workers, their families and communities.     

Diarrhoeal disease in under five year olds: An epidemiological study in an Australian aboriginal community

The incidence of diarrhoeal disease was determined during a two year period 1985–1986 in under five year old children in an Aboriginal community in South Australia. The incidence was 1.02 episodes/child/year in 1985 and 0.90 episodes/child/year in 1986. In both years the highest incidence was in the 12–23 month age group. A total of 42 episodes of dehydration were recorded and 39 evacuations to hospital were effected. Children who lived in houses were more prone to develop diarrhoea than those who lived in camps or who alternated between living in camps and houses. The high incidence of diarrhoea may be due to lack of adequate facilities for personal and domestic hygiene, unsuitable housing and an unhygienic environment.     

Sociocultural practices influencing under five nutritional status in an urban community in Osun State, Nigeria

Three hundred and forty four preschool children from Ilare district of Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria were assessed for nutritional status using selected and sensitive anthropometric techniques. The sociocultural practices of the parents were also examined. Approximately 53.8% and 54.7% of the children were identified to be malnourished and stunted respectively. The socioeconomic situation of the family was identified to have a significant influence on the child's nutritional status. Female children were observed not to be as adequately nourished as their male counterparts. However parity and food taboo had no significant influence on the child's nutritional status. The need for improvement in the socioeconomic status of the family and education of the community on the importance of female nutrition are discussed.     

A study on under five nutritional status and its determinants in a semi-rural community of Ile-Ife,Osun State,Nigeria

Ten variables were assessed as they influence the under five (U5) nutritional status of children at Oranfe, a semi-rural community in Ife East Local Government Area of Osun state, Nigeria. The two types of protein energy malnutrition (PEM) that are prevalent in the community are stunting and wasting. Of the 230 children assessed using Waterlow's technique, 23% and 22.6% were stunted and wasted respectively. The results confirmed that mothers' educational level, age, parity, types of family and children's immunization status and age are some of the key determinants of nutritional status of U5 children. The intensification of exclusive breast feeding, female education, a compulsory food demonstration unit in all health centres, use of complementary feeds from 7 months upwards, growth monitoring and promotion are some of the strategies to reduce the high prevalence of PEM in both rural and urban areas of developing countries.     

海南省农村5岁以下儿童生长发育和营养状况分析

目的:了解海南省0～5岁儿童生长发育和营养状况,为促进儿童生长发育提供科学依据。方法:采用横断面研究和多阶段分层整群抽样的方法,在海南省18个市县抽取36个乡镇72个村庄共6 103名0～5岁儿童进行体检,用Z评分法对0～5岁儿童生长发育和营养状况进行生长发育和营养状况的评价。结果:不同性别和不同年龄段儿童的身长别体重、年龄别体重、年龄别身长Z评分均低于WHO标准,并且0～5个月儿童营养状况不良较明显。结论:海南省0～5岁儿童体格发育状况和近、远期营养状况较差,均低于WHO标准,建议采取有针对性措施改善儿童的营养状况并促进儿童体格生长发育。     

Impact of ICDS on health and nutritional status of children

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in India comprises health, nutrition, and education human resource development in 1745 rural, 716 tribal, and 235 urban projects in about 45% of community development blocks of the country. Research studies have found that in ICDS areas there were fewer children suffering from Grades S II and IV malnutrition compared with non ICDS areas and the percentage of normal children has increased. 6.8% of children aged 0-3 years and 4.0% of children aged 3-6 years in ICDS areas were in Grades III and IV of malnutrition. The ICDS treatment for malnutrition is administration of 16-20 gm of protein and about 600 calories and monitoring monthly; there are 13.9 million children presently receiving supplementary nutrition in the ICDS program. The nutrition program in general aims to provide health and nutrition inputs to expectant mothers throughout the gestation period in order to prevent low birth weight babies; the nutrition supplement distribution has improved, but chronic malnutrition among pregnant mothers persists. The ICDS program provides regular health checkups, immunization, detection of malnutrition, treatment of diarrhea, and deworming of and for children. These services have contributed to improved health among children in ICDS areas. The infant mortality rate (IMR) of 71.3/1000 live births in 1992 in ICDS areas was found to be lower than national estimates in 1989. In ICDS projects more than 3 years old, IMR was found to be 84.5; further decline in IMR in 1990 were found in projects older than 5 years. Morbidity and mortality have been fund to be higher in non-ICDS areas, and declines have been observed in ICDS areas. The incidence of vaccine preventable diseases was not found to have declined in ICDS areas, in spite of increased immunization. ICDS provides anganwadi community workers (AWWs) and services through a network of Primary Health Centers and subcenters, which are not optimally used. However, when compared with non-ICDS areas, prenatal services are used by 71.9% of the pregnant population compared with 40% in a non-ICDS control group. In 1992, there was 90% coverage of children aged 0-6 years with health check ups; this level of usage may be due to the availability of medicine kits through AWWs. ICDS provides potential for enhancing the survival of children.     

河北省5岁以下儿童生长发育Z评分及营养状况评价

【目的】 应用Z评分法对河北省5岁以下儿童生长发育及营养状况进行评价和分析,为做好儿童保健工作提供科学依据。 【方法】 采用分层随机整群抽样法,抽取河北省24个县、3个城市5岁以下儿童15 930人为研究对象,对其进行身高、体重测量,采用WHO Anthroplus 2007软件计算Z评分值。 【结果】 生长发育迟缓(HAZ<2)患病率11.41％(1 818/15 930)、低体重(WAZ<2)患病率7.06%(1 125/15 930)、消瘦(WHZ<2)患病率2.58%(411/15 930),且城乡差异显著,尤其是生长发育迟缓农村患病率12.35%,约是城市的3.2倍;儿童年龄别身高Z评分(HAZ)、年龄别体重Z评分(WAZ)以及身高别体重Z评分(WHZ)均值分别为0.96±1.08、0.51±1.32和0.08±1.68。其中城市分别为0.18±1.37、0.19±1.12和0.52±1.11,农村分别为1.23±1.40、0.63±1.21和0.12±1.24。仅城市WAZ和WHZ为正值,其余均为负值,且平均Z评分随年龄增长呈下降趋势。 【结论】 河北省儿童生长发育水平与WHO推荐的参考标准有一定差距,且城乡差异显著,农村儿童营养状况欠佳。     

WHO标准与中国标准评价中国5岁以下儿童营养状况比较

目的 比较WHO标准与中国标准评价中国5岁以下儿童营养状况的差别.方法 利用2010-2013年中国居民营养与健康状况监测数据,根据WHO标准计算儿童Z评分,根据中国标准的界值判定儿童营养状况,分别计算并比较两个标准的儿童营养不良率.结果 中国标准和WHO标准计算出的5岁以下儿童生长迟缓率分别为5.54％和6.26％、...     

The nutritional status of children in an urban squatter community in Malaysia

An anthropometric assessment was conducted on a sample of 309 children, aged twelve years and below, from an urban squatter community in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The community consists mainly of Malays and Indians and is fairly established with a mean length of residence of about fifteen years. There was not much difference between the two ethnic groups with regard to educational status or income. Most of the residents were unskilled or semiskilled workers employed in factories and government agencies. About 40 percent of the infants and toddlers were found to be wasted, while about one-third of the older children were stunted. There appears to be some association between income per capita and nutritional status.     

An assessment of the nutritional and health status of an aguaruna jivaro community,amazonas, Peru

An evaluation of the nutritional adequacy of the traditional diet of the Aguaruna Jivaro demonstrates the sufficiency and balance of nutrients. Assessment of health status in terms of anthropometric measurements, as indicators of growth, fat stores and muscle development, and clinical examination for detection of signs of frank nutritional deficiencies demonstrate the relative good health of the population. Follow‐up blood tests confirm the positive health picture.

Two unanticipated and significant findings resulted from this study: the prevalence of certain parasite infections is high, and the dietary intake is extremely high in bulk and nutrients. That the parasites are so well tolerated is probably due in large measure to the quality and quantity of the Aguaruna diet.     

Association between nutritional status and subjective health status in chronically ill children attending special schools

Purpose

In hospitalized children with a chronic disease, malnutrition was associated with a lower subjective health status. In outpatient children with a chronic disease attending special schools, this association has never been studied. The aim of this study was to assess the association between nutritional status and subjective health status in chronically ill children attending special schools.

Methods

Overall, 642 children, median age 9.8 years (IQR 7.7–11.5), 60 % male, 72 % Caucasian, were included in this prospective study in nine special schools for chronically ill children in the Netherlands. Overall malnutrition was assessed as: acute malnutrition (<?2 SDS for weight for height (WFH)) and chronic malnutrition (<?2 SDS for height for age). The malnutrition risk was assessed with the nutritional risk-screening tool STRONG_kids. Subjective health status was assessed with EQ-5D.

Results

Overall, 16 % of the children had overall malnutrition: 3 % acute and 13 % chronic malnutrition. Nurses reported ‘some/severe problems’ on the health status dimensions mobility (15 %), self-care (17 %), usual activities (19 %), pain/discomfort (22 %), and anxiety/depression (22 %) in chronically ill children. Their mean visual analogue scale score (VAS) was 73.0 (SD 11.1). Malnutrition, medication usage, and younger age explained 38 % of the variance of the VAS score.

Conclusions

The presence of overall malnutrition in chronically ill children attending special schools was associated with lower subjective health status, especially in younger children and in those with chronic medication usage. Therefore, it is important to develop and use profile-screening tools to identify these children.

     

Comparison of anthropometric measures of nutritional status in preschool children in five developing countries.

Weight, height, and arm circumference were measured in 7304 children 1 to 5 years old in Columbia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, India, and Pakistan. Previously developed indices using these measures were applied to assess nutritional status, and the agreement between measures was compared. Weight for age and height for age deficits increased with age while weight for height deficits diminished. Many children diagnosed as mildly malnourished by weight for age were found to have normal weights for their actual heights. Deviations from weight for age norms were frequently due to height limitations. Highest positive correlation was found between weight and height, and between weight for age and height for age. Good agreement in malnutrition diagnoses was found between a weight for height limit of 90% of standard and a weight for age limit of 75% of standard. A cut-off point of 80% of standard weight for height was too low to detect most malnourished children. An age-constant arm circumference limit of 13.5 cm identified nearly all children with severe or acute malnutrition by weight for age or weight for height.     

南京市5岁以下儿童营养状况分析

目的　了解南京市 5岁以下儿童营养状况以及与生长发育的关系。　方法　抽取南京市区 475名 5岁以下儿童 ,进行身高、体重、血红蛋白值的测量 ,进行两周内腹泻、呼吸系统疾病等情况的调查。　结果　南京市儿童生长发育迟缓率为 0 .6% ,超重儿比例为 14 .5 % ,贫血率为 3 .7% ,两周内腹泻率为 3 .6% ,两周内呼吸系统患病率为3 5 .8%。　结论　南京市儿童生长发育迟缓率、贫血率、两周内腹泻率与全国水平相比较低 ,超重儿比例及呼吸系统患病率值得关注     

深圳市福田区2岁以内流动儿童营养状况分析

目的 了解深圳市福田区2岁以内流动儿童营养状况,为今后制定有关政策提供科学依据.方法 收集2006年4月～2009年3月由深圳市福田区妇幼保健院儿童保健门诊系统管理的2岁以内流动儿童与户籍儿童4 011例,测量其身长、体重,并与世界卫生组织推荐的标准进行比较.结果 2岁以内流动儿童的体重高于世界卫生组织推荐标准,身长接近或高于推荐标准.6～24月龄流动儿童的身长、体重低于户籍儿童(t女身长=3.054、t男身长=2.838;t女体重=4.054、t男体重=2.208,均P<0.01).2岁以内流动男童低体重患病率高于户籍男童(χ2=4.948,P<0.05);户籍女童肥胖发生率高于流动女童(χ2=7.248,P<0.05);1岁及以内流动男童和女童肥胖发生率高于1岁以上者(χ2女=20.934;χ2男=18.626,均P<0.01).结论 加强对6～24月龄流动儿童的营养和防病指导,积极开展营养健康教育,提高流动儿童的营养健康水平,预防营养不良及肥胖的发生.     

An epidemiological study of health behavior and health consciousness in smoking behavior modification

Among health enhancement activities which have been promoted at various worksites smoking cessation is the most common but is seldom very successful. Smoking cessation programs have almost always neglected individual background factors. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the factors critical to behavior modification with respect to smoking cessation at worksites. Five hundred and sixty-five chemical factory workers responded to questionnaires on their smoking behavior lifestyle, drinking habits, opinions on smoking, opinions on quitting smoking, knowledge about the effects of smoking on health, and type A behavior pattern. Two hundred thirty two male smokers (age 20-58) were chosen for the smoking cessation program, which was administered during the periodical health examinations. One year after receiving the anti-smoking education their smoking behaviors were again surveyed. Fifteen employees had quit smoking and 79 had reduced consumption by more than 10 cigarettes per day. A principal component analysis was performed in order to extract factors from the numerous items on the questionnaire. Principal component scores were compared between the group that had stopped smoking or had cut back by more than 10 cigarettes per day (Responsive Group) and the rest of the smokers (Unresponsive Group). Principal component scores, which appear to be related to levels of individual health consciousness and levels of regular exercise, were significantly higher in the responsive group than in the unresponsive group. No significant differences were noted between the two groups for principal component scores for knowledge of effects of smoking on health, drinking habits, opinions on smoking, opinions on quitting smoking, and type A behavior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Use of growth charts as a simple epidemiological monitoring system of nutritional status of children

Community monitoring of the nutritional status of children has hitherto involved field surveys and lengthy computer analysis. These procedures are complex and cannot always be carried out on a routine basis. In addition, they do not provide immediate feedback or longitudinal information on the population under surveillance. This study describes a simple, universally applicable community survey system for monitoring the growth of infants and children that affords both cross-sectional and longitudinal data.     

An epidemiological study of familial neurocysticercosis in an endemic Mexican community

Neurocysticercosis (NC) caused by Taenia solium is a frequent parasitic disease of the central nervous system. It is highly endemic in many developing countries, where many people are exposed but few become infected. Here, the relevance of age, gender, and genetic and exposure factors on NC susceptibility was studied in 649 inhabitants of a rural community of Mexico. Endemicity was confirmed by the high prevalence of pig cysticercosis (32.8%) and human seroprevalence (43.8%). Human NC cases were diagnosed by computerised tomography scans. A questionnaire to evaluate risk factors was applied and familial relationships between participants were registered. An overall NC frequency of 9.1% (59/649) was found. NC frequency increased with age but did not associate with gender. Most NC cases were asymptomatic. None of the evaluated risk factors were associated with NC. No familial aggregation was detected when studying all cases, although a significant relationship between mother and child in cases with multiple parasites was found. These findings point to the fact that human NC in high exposure conditions is not simply related to exposure factors and they do not support the participation of a major gene in single-cyst NC. Rather, our results point to a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors involved in NC.