Regional Difference of Physique and Physical Fitness between Rural and Urban School Boys and Girls

Abstract

In the previous papers, rural boys and girls were found inferior in many respects of physique and physical fitness. In order to clarify the cause, the author studied on food intake and blood composition of rural and urban subjects. Seventy nine lunches at 5th grade secluded schools were weighed and calculated their nutrition. Daily food intake was also surveyed for five days by teachers with the quettionnaire. The results obtained were compared with nutritive standards of school lunch and daily intake. Blood composition was examined both in rural and urban boys and girls The results wese summarized as follows: 1. Rural diet was lacking in all nutritious especially animal protein, fat, vitamine A, B and C. Most of calorie intake depended upon corns. These deviated diet cannot be balanced by milk supply. 2. Materials of food were limited to self products and fish. Therefore, fat, oil, milk products, and meat were few and cooking was monotonous. 3. Hemoglobin content and hematocrit value of rural boys and girls were equal to those of urban ones But the former subjects were inferior to the latter in serum protein, globurin, calcium, phosphate, cholesterol. These differences can be explained as the result of food intake. 4. The difference of blood, stated above, should influence upon growth and health of rural boys and girls. Low stature, short legs, reduced weight, angular stomatitis, subcutaneous blood flecks detected in rural subjects were considered to be mainly due to the dietary status.