Prevalence of weight excess according to age group in students from Campinas, SP, Brazil

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of weight excess in children and adolescents attending public and private schools of Campinas, Southeast Brazil, according to age group.METHODS: Cross-sectional study that enrolled 3,130 students from 2010 to 2012. The weight and the height were measured and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated. The students were classified by BMI Z-score/age curves of the World Health Organization (WHO)-2007 (thinness, normal weight, overweight and obesity) and by age group (7-10, 11-14 and 15-18 years). Multinomial logistic regression analysis was applied to verify variables associated to overweight and obesity.RESULTS: Among the 3,130 students, 53.7% attended public schools and 53.4% were girls. The prevalence of weight excess (overweight or obesity) was higher in private schools (37.3%) than in public ones (32.9%) and among males (37.5%), compared to females (32.7%; p<0.05). The chance of having weight excess in children aged 7-10 years was more than twice of those over 15 years old (OR 2.4; 95%CI 2.0-3.0) and it was 60% higher for the group with 11-14 years old (OR 1.6; 95%CI 1.3-2.0). The chance of being obese was three times higher in 7-10 years old children than in the adolescents with 15-18 years old (OR 4.4; 95%CI 3.3-6.4) and 130% higher than the group with 11-14 years old (OR 2.3; 95%CI 1.6-3.2).CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of weight excess in Campinas keeps increasing at an alarming rate, especially in the younger age group.

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Comparison and agreement of criteria for the BMI classification of physically active elderly women living in the Backlands, semi-arid Region

Journal of Human Growth and Development ◽

10.7322/jhgd.128227 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 342 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Marcelo De Maio Nascimento ◽

Luiz Gabriel Dantas Pereira ◽

Phillipe Ramon Nogueira Cordeiro ◽

Luciana Márcia Gomes de Araújo

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Status ◽

Health Risk ◽

Elderly Women ◽

Kappa Statistic ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

The Body ◽

World Health ◽

Abdominal Circumference ◽

Cross Sectional

Introduction: The study of the nutritional status of the elderly deserves attention, since there is no consensus on the criteria for the evaluation of the Body Mass Index (BMI) of this population.Objective: To evaluate the nutritional status of elderly women practicing regular physical exercises, as well as to compare the World Health Organization (WHO) and Lipschitz criteria to the identification of health risk and to examine their agreement.Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study with 76 elderly women in physical exercise groups in Petrolina-PE. The nutritional status was obtained by the calculation of BMI according to WHO and Lipschitz criteria. The analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the variables, followed by Tukey post hoc. The Kappa statistic established the agreement between the BMI criteria, the Spearman coefficient determined the correlation between BMI and abdominal circumference (AC).Results: Elderly patients aged 60-79 years were classified as being overweight by WHO and eutrophic by Lipschitz. Octogenarian demonstrated eutrophy, according to the criterion of Lipschitz, WHO diverged for this group between thinness and eutrophy. There was a weak agreement between both criteria, Kappa (0.232, p = 0.002) and a strong correlation between BMI and CA (r = 0.722, p <0.001).Conclusion: There was a divergence between the WHO and Lipschitz criteria. The WHO proved to be more sensitive to identifying overweight and obesity and Lipschitz's normal weight and malnutrition. The CA measure was more competent to detect health risk, especially in elderly eutrophic women.

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Factores de riesgo relacionados con la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en adolescentes

Revista Ciencia y Cuidado ◽

10.22463/17949831.510 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 72 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gloria Esperanza Zambrano-Plata ◽

Yasmin Gabriela Otero-Esteban ◽

Silvia Lisbeth Rodríguez-Berrio

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Public Schools ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

The Body ◽

Nutritional State ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Endogenous Factors ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Factores De Riesgo

Objetivo: identificar los factores de riesgo relacionados con la prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad en adolescentes entre 10 y 18 años que pertenecen a los colegios públicos de la ciudad de Cúcuta, durante el primer semestre del 2014. Materiales y Métodos: estudio descriptivo de corte transversal; con una población: 61.172 adolescentes y una muestra de 382 estudiantes matriculados en los colegios públicos de Cúcuta. El instrumento fue diseñado por las investigadoras para valorar las características sociodemográficas, medidas antropométricas, factores endógenos, exógenos y percepción del exceso de peso y de su imagen. Resultados: el exceso de peso presento alta proporción en la adolescencia temprana y en el estrato socioeconómico 2. Predominio de sobrepeso en mujeres y obesidad en hombres. En los factores endógenos asociados con estos trastornos, prevaleció el antecedente familiar de sobrepeso y obesidad, además recibieron otra alimentación y no leche materna durante los primeros seis meses, y como antecedentes personales presentaron ansiedad y parto prematuro. En los factores exógenos la alimentación de los adolescentes con sobrepeso es alta en grasas y en los obesos es alta en azúcares, baja en verduras y fibra. Los estudiantes con déficit y con peso normal, se sienten flacos y sanos; los adolescentes con sobrepeso perciben su silueta mayor, y los obesos la perciben menor a la establecida para su índice de masa corporal. Conclusiones: los adolescentes escolarizados presentan una alta prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad, observándose una mayor preponderancia de factores de riesgo endógenos y exógenos. De igual manera, presentan una imagen corporal que no corresponde a su estado nutricional. PALABRAS CLAVE: adolescentes, escolar, estado nutricional, factores de riesgo. Risk factors associated with the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescent ABSTRACTObjective: to identify risk factors associated with the prevalence of overweight and obesity in adolescents aged 10 to 18 who belong to public schools in Cucuta city, in the first half of 2014. Materials and Methods: a descriptive cross-sectional study; population: 61,172 adolescents as a sample: 382 students enrolled in public schools in Cúcuta. The instrument was designed by the researchers to assess sociodemographic, anthropometric measurements, endogenous factors, exogenous and perception of overweight and image. Results: there was a high overweight proportion in early adolescence and socioeconomic level 2: prevalence of overweight in women and obesity in men. According to endogenous factors associated with these disorders, the prevailing factors were: family history of overweight and obesity in addition they didn`t have other food and breast milk for the first six months, and as personal history showed anxiety and prematurity. In the exogenous factors, the adolescent feeding is high in fat and in obese adolescents is high in sugar, low in vegetables and fiber. Students with deficit and normal weight, feel thin and healthy; overweight adolescents perceive their greater size shape, obese students perceive a lower size than the established one for BMI. Conclusions: school teenagers have a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, showing a greater preponderance of endogenous and exogenous risk factors. Similarly, the body image of the adolescents does not correspond to their nutritional state. KEY WORDS: adolescents, school, nutritional state, risk factors. Os fatores de risco associados com a prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade entre adolescentes RESUMO Objetivo: identificar fatores de risco associados com a prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em adolescentes de 10 a 18 anos que pertencem a escolas públicas na cidade de Cucuta, no primeiro semestre de 2014. Materiais e Métodos: um estudo descritivo transversal ; População: 61,172 adolescentes mostra: 382 alunos matriculados em escolas públicas de Cúcuta. O instrumento foi projetado pelos pesquisadores para avaliar sociodemográficas, medidas antropométricas, fatores endógenos, exógeno e percepção de excesso de peso e sua imagem. Resultados: sobrepeso alta proporção presente no início da adolescência e estratos sócio-econômicos 2: prevalência de excesso de peso em mulheres e obesidade em homens. Em fatores endógenos associados a esses distúrbios, a história da família predominante do sobrepeso e obesidade, além recebeu nenhum outro leite alimentos e de mama para os primeiros seis meses e, como história pessoal mostrou ansiedade e prematuridade. Nos factores exógenos alimentação adolescentes com sobrepeso é rico em gordura e obesidade é rico em açúcar, pobre em vegetais e fibras. Estudantes défice e de peso normal, se sentir magra e saudável; adolescentes com sobrepeso percebem sua maior silhueta, obesos e perceber inferiores aos estabelecidos para o IMC. Conclusões: adolescentes escola tem uma alta prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade, mostrando uma maior preponderância de fatores de risco endógeno e exógeno. Da mesma forma, uma imagem do corpo que não corresponde ao seu estado nutricional é apresentada.PALAVRAS-CHAVE: adolescentes, escolares, estado nutricional, fatores de risco.

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Prevalence of underweight in the Roma population from a rural area in the south part of Romania- Călăraşi county

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665120005546 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (OCE2) ◽

Author(s):

Emilia Rusu ◽

Georgiana Enache ◽

Alexandra Alexescu ◽

Florin Rusu ◽

Andrada Cosoreanu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

World Health ◽

Age Group ◽

Rural Settlements ◽

The South ◽

Double Burden ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Roma Population

AbstractBackground and aim:The Roma population is one of the ethnic minorities with a long history of malnutrition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of underweight in Roma population living in rural settlements from Călăraşi County in the south part of Romania.Methods:This cross-sectional, epidemiological, non-interventional study was conducted from March 2014 to May 2017 in several villages from Calarasi County. We analized the data from 978 people: 660 Roma (457 females/203 males), and 318 Romanian Caucasians (213 females/105 males) aged between 18 and 88 yr. Body mass index (BMI) was classified using the definitions of World Health Organization and a BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 was defined as underweight.Results:In Roma population group, the prevalence of underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity was 4.5% (n = 30), 26.5% (n = 175), 25% (n = 165) and 43.9% (n = 290) respectively. The prevalence of underweight was higher in Roma population compared to Romanian Caucasian, with a significantly higher prevalence in young age groups, 6.9% in 18–29-year age group and 8.2% in 30–39-year age group as well as in the age group of over 70 years (7.5%).Among the Roma population, in multivariate adjustment for all covariates in a backward stepwise elimination procedure, significant predictors of underweight were a current smoking and lower socio-educational level (under eight classes).Conclusions:Our results confirm and reinforce the need to implement prevention programs in high-risk populations such as the Roma population, due to the double burden of malnutrition, low access to the health system, low socio-economic level, limited access to education lack of medical education and preventive healthcare.

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Comparison of socioeconomic status of parents and Body Mass Index of their in-school adolescents in Cross River state, Nigeria

Journal of Epidemiological Society of Nigeria ◽

10.46912/jeson.22 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 45-51

Author(s):

BN Ekpenyong ◽

V Essien ◽

AO Ndep ◽

O Onwusaka ◽

A Peter

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Public Schools ◽

Body Mass ◽

Private Schools ◽

Task Force ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

The Body ◽

Anthropometric Measurement ◽

Cross Sectional

Background: Overweight and obesity as well as underweight in adolescence are risk factors of chronic diseases that occur in adulthood. The objective of this research was to assess the Body Mass Index of in-school adolescents and its relationship to socioeconomic status of their parents.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 454 adolescents aged 10-19 years selected from five secondary schools using multistage sampling technique. A semi-structured interviewer questionnaire was used to collect relevant information from the adolescents and their anthropometric measurement to determine their Body Mass Index. Their Body Mass Index was categorized into obese, overweight, normal and underweight using the International Obesity Task Force reference. Analysis was done using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences, version 20.1. Results: The prevalence of obesity, overweight, and underweight among the adolescents was 7.7%, 1.1% and 32.8% respectively. None of the students in the public schools was obese while 2.1% of the adolescents were obese in the private schools. Adolescents in public schools had a higher percentage of underweight (65.4%) compared to those in private schools (34.5%) and this was found statistically significant (p<0.001). There was an overall higher prevalence of overweight and obesity among the females than found among the males. This was also the case for adolescents from higher socio-economic parents. These differences were found to be statistically significant (p<0.001). Conclusion: The Body Mass Index status of the in-school adolescents studied was found to increase with increased socioeconomic status of their parents. This underscores the need for sensitization of in-school adolescents to see the need of knowing their nutritional status and ways to avoid the consequences of abnormal Body Mass Index.

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ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BREASTFEEDING AND OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY IN SCHOOLCHILDREN AGED 7-14 YEARS

Revista Paulista de Pediatria ◽

10.1590/1984-0462/2021/39/2020076 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 ◽

Author(s):

Katia Jakovljevic Pudla Wagner ◽

Camila Elizandra Rossi ◽

Patrícia de Fragas Hinnig ◽

Mariane de Almeida Alves ◽

Anabelle Retondario ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Normal Weight ◽

The Body ◽

World Health ◽

Age Group ◽

Z Score ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dichotomous Variable ◽

Health Organization

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of breastfeeding (BF) and the association between occurrence/duration of BF and overweight/obesity in schoolchildren aged 7-14 years. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, conducted in 2012-2013, on schoolchildren aged 7-14 years from Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Southern Brazil. Weight and height were measured according to procedures of the World Health Organization. Breastfeeding and sociodemographic data were obtained from a questionnaire responded by parents/guardians. BF was categorized as a dichotomous variable (yes/no) and according to duration (months). Nutritional status was evaluated according to the Z score of the body mass index per age for sex and it was categorized into two groups: normal weight (<Z score+1) and overweight/obesity (≥Z score+1). The adjusted analysis was performed by logistic regression in two age strata (age groups of 7-10 and 11-14 years). Results: 6.6% of schoolchildren had never breastfed; 16.8% had been breastfed for ≤3 months; 16.7%, for 4-6 months; and 59.9%, for ≥7 months. No statistically significant differences were found in the occurrence and duration of BF between the age groups. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 34.2%. For age groups (7-10 and 11-14 years), the prevalence of overweight/obesity was 36.7% and 29.8%, respectively. Chance of overweight/obesity for the age group of 7-10 years was lower among schoolchildren who were breastfed (OR=0.54; 95%CI 0.33-0.88), when compared with those who never breastfed. When categorized, the chance of overweight/obesity in the age group of 7-10 years was lower for duration of BF ≤3 months (OR=0.41; 95%CI 0.20-0.83), and 4-6 months (OR=0.48; 95%CI 0.28-0.82) when compared with children who never breastfed. Conclusions: BF for at least six months was associated with a lower chance of overweight/obesity for schoolchildren aged 7-10 years. No association was found for schoolchildren aged 11-14 years.

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Prevalence and factors associated with nutritional deviations in women in the pre-pregnancy phase in two municipalities of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia ◽

10.1590/1415-790x201400010005eng ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. 45-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Daniele Marano ◽

Silvana Granado Nogueira da Gama ◽

Rosa Maria Soares Madeira Domingues ◽

Paulo Roberto Borges de Souza Junior

Keyword(s):

Rio De Janeiro ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

First Trimester ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

The State ◽

The Body ◽

Nutritional Risk ◽

Institute Of Medicine ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Associated

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and potential factors associated with pre-pregnancy nutritional status of women. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study carried out between December 2007 and November 2008 with 1,535 women in the first trimester of pregnancy and randomly selected in health units of the Brazilian public health system (SUS) in the municipalities of Queimados and Petrópolis in the State of Rio de Janeiro. The diagnosis of nutritional deviations was based on the Body Mass Index, according to the classification of the Institute of Medicine, and the following categories were obtained: underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity. In the statistical analysis, the multinomial logistic regression model was used and an odds ratio and confidence interval of 95% were estimated. RESULTS: The sample included women between 13 and 45 years. The prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity were 10, 18 and 11%, respectively. Women living in Queimados, adolescents, women who did not live with a partner and smokers had a higher proportion of low pre-pregnancy weight. There was an association between hypertension, overweight and obesity. Adolescents presented lower chance to overweight and obesity. Living in Queimados reduced the odds of overweight. CONCLUSION: The proportion of pre-pregnancy nutritional deviations was high, and recognizing factors that lead to them is very important for an early identification of women at nutritional risk, with view to interventions to reduce the adverse effects of malnutrition on maternal and child health.

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The secular trend in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the population of primary school children from Ljubljana (Slovenia)

Slovenian Journal of Public Health ◽

10.2478/sjph-2014-0019 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 53 (2) ◽

pp. 188-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Marjeta Kovač ◽

Gregor Jurak ◽

Lijana Zaletel Kragelj ◽

Bojan Leskošek

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

School Children ◽

Task Force ◽

Reference Group ◽

Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

The Body ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Cross Sectional

Abstract Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children has increased dramatically in recent decades. The survey examined overweight and obesity in the population of boys and girls from Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, aged seven through fourteen from 1991 to 2011. Methods: An annually repeated cross-sectional study of data from the national SLOFIT monitoring system was used. The body mass index cut-off points of the International Obesity Task Force were used to identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity. Multinomial logistic regression was used for modelling the probability of overweight and obesity as a function of time (year of measurement), sex and age of subjects. Results: In 1991-2011 period, the odds for overweight and obesity among primary school children (n = 376,719) increased every year by 1.7% (95% CI: 1.6-1.9) and 3.7% (3.4-4%) respectively. Boys have 1.17 (95% CI: 1.15-1.20) times higher odds of becoming overweight and 1.39 (95% CI: 1.35-1.44) times higher odds of becoming obese than girls. In comparison to the reference group (age of 14), the highest odds for overweight were found at the ages of nine and ten (1.39; 95% CI: 1.34-1.44), while for the obesity the highest odds were at the age of eight (2.01; 95% CI: 1.86-2.16). Conclusion: From 1991 to 2011, overweight and obesity clearly became more prevalent in children from Ljubljana. This trend has been more obvious among boys than girls. In comparison to 14-year-old boys and girls, the highest odds for excessive weight were found below the age of 10.

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Dietary Habits and Nutritional Status of Undergraduate Students of Winneba Campus of University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

10.46715/jfsn2020.10.1000109 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Janet AgyarkwaaOti ◽

Guy Eshun

Keyword(s):

Nutritional Status ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Undergraduate Students ◽

Dietary Habits ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Normal Weight ◽

The Body ◽

World Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The University

Even though empirical evidence exists to validate the avowal that dietary habits hold the key in reducing the surge in non-communicable diseases among adolescents and young adults and for optimal nutritional status, little is known about the nexus of these variables in the Ghanaian context and much less in Ghanaian universities. In view of this dearth in literature, this study investigated dietary habits and its effect on nutritional status among undergraduate students of the Winneba Campus of University of Education, Winneba. Using the Social-Ecological Model (SEM) as the theoretical basis, this study adopted the cross-sectional descriptive survey research design with the quantitative approach where proportionate stratified random sampling technique was used to select 3,065 students for the study. The assessment of nutritional status was done where height and weight were measured in Kg/m2and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated based on the recommendations by the World Health Organization. Data on the dietary habits was collected with a closed-ended questionnaire which was analyzed using both descriptive statistics like frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviation as well as inferential statistics such as multiple regression.The study discovered that undergraduate students of the University of Education, Winneba, were of normal weight than overweight and underweight while obesity was ranked the least. The study further revealed that even though students moderately consumed fish, meat, eggs and dairy products legumes and nuts, they had a low intake of fruits and vegetables, but high consumption of energy-dense foods and fast foods such as cakes, pastries, cookies, deep-fried foods, biscuits, sandwiches, indomie and of soft drinks. It was further established that majority of the students skipped meals notably breakfast. Besides, the study showed that all the dietary habits outlined in the study collectively contributed significantly to students’ nutritional status. Therefore, it is recommended that the University through its health directorate and the Department of Food and Nutrition should regularly organize health talks and symposiums to admonish students on the dangers of not observing optimal dietary habits. Additionally, the University through its Academic Board should introduce a general course on nutrition education to equip students with current theories in dietary practices for improved dietary habits.

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Overweight and obesity: prevalence in children and adolescents in Northern Brazil

Journal of Human Growth and Development ◽

10.7322/jhgd.v30.10376 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (2) ◽

pp. 266-273

Author(s):

Edson Dos Santos Farias ◽

Katia Fernanda Alves Moreira ◽

Josivana Pontes dos Santos ◽

Ivanice Fernandes Barcellos Gemelli ◽

Gean Magalhães da Costa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

The Body ◽

World Health ◽

Obesity Prevalence ◽

The Social ◽

Northern Brazil ◽

Health Organization ◽

Porto Velho

Introduction: Obesity is a chronic disease with a multifactorial etiology, brought about by a set of genetic, environmental and psychological factors. This may generate comorbidities that affect the quality of life and involve other risks to health. Objective: To describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school children and adolescents in Porto Velho - Rondônia, Brazil in the period 2013-2016. Methods: This study included 4165 schoolchildren aged 9 to 18 years. The students were classified as overweight and obese, according to the z score of the body mass index (BMI) for age and calculated according the WHO AnthroPlus program. Subsequently, BMI for age was categorized according to the criteria proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2007): overweight (? score z +1 ? z + 2) and obese (? score z +2). Prevalence calculations were performed using the SPSS version 20.0 program. Results: Overall, the prevalence of overweight was 27.1%, being overweight 18.8% and obese 8.3%, in private schools 21.4% and 9.8%, public schools 17.0% and 7.2% respectively. The east zone predominated in both education networks 18.8% and 8.3% respectively. In males, the highest prevalence was at nine years old, 30.7% and 23.0%, and female, 24.3% and 13.8%. Conclusion: The magnitude of the prevalence of overweight and obesity was high and worrying among schoolchildren and adolescents in the city of Porto Velho, which demonstrates the need for public health actions aimed at the family unit, regardless of the social segment.

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Anthropometric Indices in Primary School Children of Iranshahr City, Iran

Journal of Nutrition and Food Security ◽

10.18502/jnfs.v4i4.1722 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Farzaneh Montazerifar ◽

Mansour Karajibani ◽

Hossnieh Asoudeh ◽

Mohaddeseh Asoudeh ◽

Ali Reza Dashipour

Keyword(s):

Public Schools ◽

Primary School ◽

Private Schools ◽

School Children ◽

Health Problem ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Primary School Children ◽

World Health ◽

Anthropometric Indices ◽

Cross Sectional

Background: Malnutrition, as a serious health problem in children, has an increasing prevalence in the developing countries. This study aimed to evaluate the anthropometric indices of primary school children in Iranshahr, a city in central region of Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iran. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 1000 6-14 year-old primary school children studying in 16 public and 5 private schools in Iranshahr city from May to June 2017. The sampling was done using multistage cluster random method. The school records were used to determine the students' ages. Their weight, height, and body mass index (BMI) were measured. Anthropometric indices including weight-for-age, height-for-age, and BMI-for-age were assessed using the National Center for Health Statistics/World Health Organization international growth reference and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2000). Results: The rate of thinness was significantly higher in public than private schools (18.1% vs 1%; P < 0.0001). Overweight/obesity was lower in public schools’ children compared to students of the private schools (0.1% vs 9.3%; P = 0.007). The rates of stunting and underweight in public and private schools’ children were 50.2% vs. 53.3% (P = 0.11) and 46.6% vs 35% (P < 0.0001), respectively. Conclusion: Findings showed that although nutritional status was better in private schools than public schools, malnutrition is still a potential public health problem in this area. Therefore, the nutrition interventions are suggested at national and regional levels to increase the parents' awareness.

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