PHYSICAL AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN RAMSAR CITY IN 2003

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Poor health and malnutrition in childhood may affect cognitive abilities necessary for learning process and consequently, educational achievement. This study was done to determine physical and nutritional status in primary school children in Ramsar, Iran in 2003. METHODS: In this cross- sectional study 294 primary school children (grades 1-5) were selected by cluster sampling. Data was gathered by demographic questionnaire, hygienic and curative form, Harvard s Food Frequency Questionnaire (HFFQ). Every assessed item in hygienic and curative form (visual acuity, hearing, spinal cord, skin, hair and nails status) with normal health status has 1 score. Therefore 4 score means normal health status and 0-3 score means deviation from normal health status. FINDINGS: Mean age for the children was 9.5 years. The prevalence of normal health status was 65.6% (193 children) and the prevalence of deviation from normal health status was 34.4% (101 children). There was significant relationship between normal health status with their fathers literacy (p= 0.028) and sex (p=0.0001). 29.3%, 53.7%, 77.8%, 13% and 27.7% of samples always ate dairy products, meat, egg, vegetables and fruits, respectively. There was significant relationship between family income sufficiency with frequency of milk and dairy products (p=0.001) and meat (p=0.0001) and fruits (0.0001). CONCLUSION: Government policies need to focus on promotion of physical health status, nutrition education through adult education programs and incorporating it in the school curricula and promotion of family income sufficiency.

Keywords

• physical health status
• nutrition
• primary school children