scholarly journals Evaluation of the nutritional status of rural children living in Zambia

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arimi Mitsunaga ◽  
Taro Yamauchi

Abstract Background Growth references (growth charts) are used to assess the nutritional and growth status of children. In developed countries, there are growth charts based on the country’s national surveys. However, many developing countries do not have their own growth references, so they usually use WHO and US CDC references. In such cases, it is known that the growth statuses of the subject are underestimated or overestimated. This study sought to accurately assess the growth status of children by developing a local growth chart for children living in the Southern Province of Zambia. Methods Anthropometric measurements were conducted on 1135 children aged 2–19 years in the target area. The height and weight data for each sex and age were smoothed using the LMS method, and a percentile curve of height and weight was developed. Based on the US CDC reference, three indicators of undernutrition (stunting, underweight, and thinness) were calculated to determine the proportion of those who are undernourished (z-score < − 2). Results The 50th percentile curve of height and weight in the growth chart of the target population was equivalent to the 5–25th percentile curve of the US reference, and the children of Zambia were both small and of low weight. Conversely, although many subjects are small and of low weight, it was found that there were few poor nutritional statuses as judged by BMI. Through comparison with a previous study in the Southern Province of Zambia, a secular change in the growth of children over 20 years was found. Although there was no significant increase in height and weight in the older age group, there was a significant increase in height and weight at an earlier age. This is thought to be due to an increase in the growth rate of children due to improved socioeconomic conditions, women’s education level, and improvement in health care standards. Conclusions The subjects were small and of low weight compared to the US population, but the nutritional status was not poor by BMI. The height and weight at an earlier age increased compared to 20 years ago.

2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (12) ◽  
pp. 2149-2156
Author(s):  
Ryne Paulose-Ram ◽  
Jessica E. Graber ◽  
David Woodwell ◽  
Namanjeet Ahluwalia

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a unique source of national data on the health and nutritional status of the US population, collecting data through interviews, standard exams, and biospecimen collection. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, NHANES data collection was suspended, with more than a year gap in data collection. NHANES resumed operations in 2021 with the NHANES 2021–2022 survey, which will monitor the health and nutritional status of the nation while adding to the knowledge of COVID-19 in the US population. This article describes the reshaping of the NHANES program and, specifically, the planning of NHANES 2021–2022 for data collection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Details are provided on how NHANES transformed its participant recruitment and data collection plans at home and at the mobile examination center to safely collect data in a COVID-19 environment. The potential implications for data users are also discussed. (Am J Public Health. 2021;111(12):2149–2156. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306517 )


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (64) ◽  
pp. 9136-9153
Author(s):  
M Niyibituronsa ◽  
◽  
F Kyallo ◽  
C Mugo ◽  
S Gaidashova ◽  
...  

The prevalence of malnutrition is high in Rwanda especially in Ruhango District of Southern Province (23.5% in 2009). The contribution of soybean ( Glycine max L) , which is an important source of high quality and inexpensive protein and oil, to improvement of nutritional status of malnourished children is unclear. Although a lot of research has been done on the production of soybean in Rwanda, research on soybean in the diet to improve the nutritional status of malnourished children has not been done. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of soybean flour and soybean milk on the nutritional status of malnourished children under the age of five. The objective was to determine the weight gain due to each treatment in comparison with the control group. This study was conducted in Ruhango District of Southern Province Rwanda. A survey was conducted where households growing and utilizing soybean were identified and anthropometric measurements were ta ken on 294 children to select malnourished children. Thirty malnourished children participate in the intervention which lasted three months. One cup (250ml) of soybean milk was supplemented to ten children per day. An equal number was supplemented with 25g of soybean flour in soup (250ml). The caregivers of the ten children in the control group received nutrition education together with the two treatment groups. Anthropometric measurements were taken every month and entered in WHO ANTHRO software. Data was analyzed by regression models using G enStat 14th edition and the magnitude of weight gain due to each of the treatments was predicted at 5% level of significance. A linear mixed model was used to estimate and compare weight gain among children fed on soybean milk and soybean flour supplement in comparison with the control group. Soybean products were found to affect weight gain of children (P = 0.04). The mean weight gain was 0.9 (±0.5 ) kg within three months of intervention. The difference in weight gain between t he two treatment groups was not significant. To improve the nutritional status o f malnourished children under five years further intervention is needed in terms of education and training on soybean based diet formulation.


2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 475-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert M. Malina ◽  
Maria Eugenia Peña Reyes ◽  
Bertis B. Little

Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 1317-1317
Author(s):  
Soma Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Tusi Dutta ◽  
Sonali Dey ◽  
Somnath Datta ◽  
Ashis Mukhopadhyay

Abstract Background: In developing countries 40 % children suffer from mal-nutrition. It has been shown that a good nutritional status can reduce complications of treatment, strengthen the immune system and contribute to the patient’s general well being throughout treatment. A good nutritional status is therefore essential for optimal treatment of a leukemic child. The aim of our study was to see the nutritional status of leukemic children on diagnosis and effect of nutrition on outcome of therapy. Material & Methods: During period from January 2004 to December 2007 we prospectively analyzed the nutritional status of 400 paediatric patients in Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Cancer Research Institute, a tertiary cancer center of Eastern India. The age of the patients were 1 to 18 years (median age 12.5 years). The parameter analyzed were weight for age, height for age, total protein, serum albumin and skin fold thickness. The weight for age, height for age and skin fold thickness were taken as normal if they were between 3rd and 97th percentile curve of the growth chart recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research. The albumin level and the total protein was considered normal if the value is equal to or more than 3gm% and 5.8gm% respectively. Result: It was seen that total 56 patients (14% children) were low weight for age, 40 patients (10% children) were low height and 67 patients (16.75% children) had low mid arm circumference. Total 44 patients (11% children) had low serum albumin while 80 patients (20% children) had low serum protein. It was found that low weight for age, low serum albumin and low mid arm circumference were significance factors in remission induction, disease free survival and toxicity of chemotherapy (p &lt; 0.005). Conclusion: We conclude that mal-nutrition is a major finding in cancer patients with leukemia in developing country like ours. The patient with mal-nutrition had less remission in induction, disease free survival and more toxicities during therapy as compared to well-nourished children.


2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
SR Niraula ◽  
SP Barnwal ◽  
S Paudel ◽  
S Mishra ◽  
S Dahal ◽  
...  

Background: Malnutrition is a major public health & nutrition problem in Nepal. It is associated with many risk factors like low birth weight, multiple birth, short spaced birth, extra diet, and iron supplementation in pregnancy etc. Objectives: This study aims at finding out the nutritional status of under-five Nepalese children of Borbote village, Ilam and risk factors associated with malnutrition. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Borbote village, Ilam. A total of 186 under-five children was selected by purposive sampling. Non parametric test was applied to find out statistical significance. Logistic regression method was used to identify the factors influencing the malnutrion. Results: According to WHO, 20% children were malnourished . of which 14% were moderately undernourished and 6% were severely undernourished. Mothers exclusively breast feeding for 6 months had only 20.0% low weight for age children and those who didn.t had 34.8% (P=0.041). Pregnant ladies who took iron supplements had 20.5% of low weight for age children compared to 37.1% (P =0.037) in those who didn.t take supplements. Malnutrition was found more in those who were below poverty line 27.94% (P=0.023) compared to those above poverty line 12.00%. Conclusion: Significant number of under-five children of Bortbote village was malnourished. Maternal factors have significant association with nutritional status of the children which include extra diet in pregnancy and lactation, iron supplements in pregnancy, exclusive breast feeding for six months. Extra attention should be provided by the Ministry of Health towards maternal and child health. Health Renaissance, January-April 2013; Vol. 11 No.1; 111-118 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/hren.v11i2.8217


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Awat Feizi ◽  
Mahin Hashemipour ◽  
Silva Hovsepian ◽  
Zeynab Amirkhani ◽  
Roya Kelishadi ◽  
...  

Objectives. The aim of the current study was to investigate the growth status of CH, generate specialized growth charts of CH infants, and compare them with their counterparts of regional normal infants. Methods. In this prospective cohort study, 760 (345 girls and 415 boys) neonates born in 2002–2009 diagnosed by neonatal CH screening program in Isfahan were followed up from the time of diagnosis. 552 healthy children were recruited as a control group. The empirical 3rd, 15th, 50th, 85th, and 97th percentiles for height, weight, and head circumference of both sexes were determined and compared with their counterpart values of the control group. The relative frequency of patients with impaired growth for each studied variable was determined. Also, specialized growth charts of CH patients were generated. Results. The percentiles of weight, height, and head circumference of studied patients are significantly different from regional healthy children (P<0.001). The relative frequency of impaired head circumference was decreased to less than 3% at the 3rd year of age and for height it reached gradually 3% and 9% at the 5th year of age for boys and girls, respectively (P<0.05); however for weight still it was statistically more than 3% in both sexes. Conclusion. CH patients had impaired growth development which was improved during follow up, but the catch-up time was earlier for head circumference and later for weight.


2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 103-105
Author(s):  
Koorosh Etemad ◽  
Farzad Ashrafi ◽  
Amir Shahbazzadeh ◽  
Tara Moghaddasfar ◽  
Mehran Arab Ahmadi

Background: Parkinson disease (PD) introduced as the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disease following Alzheimer disease. A patient’s nutritional status may be compromising in PD. This study aimed to describe the outpatient nutritional status in patients with PD at a third-level hospital in Iran. Methods: The validated Persian version of the Mini-Nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire was used to evaluate the nutritional status of 158 Iranian PD patients (age, 35-85 years). The exclusion criteria were as follows: chronic comorbidities affecting the nutritional status (e.g., diabetes and hypertension); adherence to special diets; and cognitive disorders. Based on the MNA questionnaire, a total score below 17 represented malnutrition, while scores 17-24 indicated a risk of malnutrition. Results: Based on the findings, 26% of the participants had low weight, 67% of whom were over 65 years. According to the MNA questionnaire, 14.3% of the participants showed malnutrition and 26.2% were at risk of malnutrition. Conclusion: Based on our findings, PD can contribute to reduced nutritional status. More than onefourth of the PD population was at risk of malnutrition, which highlights the need for more attention towards nutritional assessment. Nutritional assessment is essential for the development of nutritional interventions and early detection of PD patients who are at risk of malnutrition.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1955
Author(s):  
Perumalpillai Santhakumaran ◽  
Srinivasan Govindaraj ◽  
Sivaraman Thirumalaikumarasamy

Background: The problems of malnutrition among under five children can be used to conclude the necessity for nutritional care, surveillance, or appropriate intervention of nutritional programmes in a community. The objective of the present study was to assess the nutritional status in under 5 children and to compare the nutritional status with WHO and IAP Growth curves and to evaluate the relationship of same with variables like literacy, income of parents, order of birth, sex of the child, birth weight and breast feeding.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study was carried out in 1052 children aged under 0-5 years hailing from middle and low socio-economic class of an urban population attended to out-patient department and ward in Government Royapettah Hospital and Anaganwadi centres in and around Royapettah during the period of November 2006 to October 2007. Anthropometric measurements such as weight, height/length, middle arm circumference (MAC) were taken for all the children and all the measurements were plotted in the IAP growth chart, WHO growth chart (Z score - 2006), BMI - WHO standards and compared.Results: Out of 1052 children, majority of the subjects were male children 535 (50.9%). As per IAP guidelines, majority of the children 513 (48.8%) were under normal weight, 5 (0.5%) of them were with very severe malnutrition. According to WHO standards most of the children 623 (59.2%) were under weight and 135 (12.8%) were under severe malnutrition. Positive correlation was observed between the nutritional status of the children with educational and employment status of parents, increasing birth weight and family income. Increasing birth order has a negative influence on nutritional status of the child. Optimally breast fed babies (Exclusively breast fed for 6 months with appropriate complementary feeds thereafter) have better nutritional status.Conclusion: The study concludes that utmost care and attention must be focused on child’s nutrition by giving priority to education for poor community especially for women, creating awareness regarding benefits of early initiation of breastfeeding and limiting family size.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatimah Boenjamin Partakusuma

Background: Angular cheilitis is a lesion at the corner of the mouth. Clinically, it is visible as an erythema and ulceration that occasionally extend beyond the vermillion border onto the skin. Anemia in children is an issue of global nutritional problems that need attention. The objectives of the study  was to determine the association between nutritional status, oral hygiene  and angular cheilitis in elementary schoolchildren in District of Cianjur. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on 349 schoolchildren in five Subdistrict of Cianjur. Angular cheilitis status was determined based on the criteria set by Ohman (1986). Anhropometric status was determined by CDC BMI-for-age percentile growth chart. Anemia status was determine by the level of hemoglobin concentration using the HemoCue device. Oral hygiene was measured by OHI-S index. Results: The prevalence of angular cheilitis, anemia, wasting and poor oral hygiene were: 62.5%, 12,6%, 20.6%, and 67.3%, respectively. There are no relationships between  anthropometric status, oral hygiene and angular cheilitis. (p> 0.05). However there is a relationship significant relationship beween anemia and angular cheilitis (p <0.05). Logistic regression test showed that anemia is a risk factor on the occurrence of angular cheilitis. Conclusion: Anemia is a factor on the occurrence of angular cheilitis in schoolchildren in Cianjur.


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