A study on health status of school children in rural northeast Thailand--(1). Physical growth status and blood biochemical status

Abstract

To clarify the health and nutritional status of inhabitants of rural Thailand, a medical survey study was carried out in a farm village with a population of about 1000 in northeast Thailand (near Kohn Kaen: Don Daeng village) in 1984 and 1985. In this report, the physical growth status and biochemical blood status of school children are presented.All physical parameters, i. e., body height, body weight, girth of chest, and skin fold thickness, were poor as compared with recent Japanese children (those of school children in the village are almost the same as those of Japanese from 1950-1955).From plasma and blood examination, the spread of infectious diseases including chronic hepatitis was presumed, and the nutritional status of protein, fat, vitamins and minerals was insufficient as compared to Japanese children. Therefore, it is postulated that there were many marginal nutritional deficiencies, i. e., thiamine, calcium, iron, etc. and that many diseases will be induced by these nutritional deficiencies.