Abstract
Objectives: To describe the nutritional status of grade eleven school children in the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) area Kalutara. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among grade eleven school children in Type 1AB and Type 1C state schools in the MOH area Kalutara. Eighteen classes from a total of 14 schools were studied. Cluster sampling technique, probability proportionate to size was used to select the sample. The heights and weights were measured, and the Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated for each child. The age and sex specific BMI charts developed by the National Centre for Health Statistics 2000 were used as standards. A structured, pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the socio-demographic characteristics. Results : The prevalence of thinness ( Conclusions: Under-nutrition is a problem among grade eleven school children in the MOH area Kalutara. Almost 7% of them were at risk of overweight. Key Words: Nutritional Status; School Children DOI: 10.4038/jccpsl.v13i2.2967 Journal of the College of Community Physicians of Sri Lanka Vol.13(2) 2008 34-38
Highlights
The nutritional status of a population determines the overall health status which affects the growth and development of a society [1]
Under-nutrition is a problem among grade eleven school children in the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) area Kalutara
This study was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in MOH area Kalutara, in the administrative area of the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS)
Summary
The nutritional status of a population determines the overall health status which affects the growth and development of a society [1]. The recent decade has experienced marked changes in demography, epidemiology, and nutrition, which is more prominent in the developed countries, yet with no exception in the developing countries. Sri Lanka too has experienced rapid urbanization with 21.5% of the population being urban [3], and with changes in the food consumption pattern. Adolescents, the age group between 10 -19 years [4], represents the future work force of the nation. This is a critical period where more than 20% of the total growth in stature, and up to 50% of adult bone mass is achieved [5]. Adolescents in Sri Lanka constitute 3.7 million (19.7%) according to the Department of Census and Statistics [6]. The prevalence of thinness ranges from 12.3% - 47.2% and the prevalence of overweight ranging from 2.2% - 15.2% [7, 8] depending on the setting of the study
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