Anthropometric Indicators Of Nutritional Status Research Articles

Birth weight and nutritional status in school-age children from Boane city, Mozambique.

Birth weight is considered an important marker of inadequate maternal nutrition, and it is a critical indicator of the newborn's health and development. This study evaluated the influence of low birth weight (LBW) on body composition in 7-10-year-old school children from Boane City-Mozambique. A total of 220 children (female = 122 and male = 98) were divided into two groups according to their birth weight (LBW, n = 41; and normal birth weight, NBW, n = 179). Anthropometric indicators of nutritional status were analyzed by the indices weight-for-age, height-for-age, BMI-for-age, and weight-for-height. LBW children showed reduced skinfolds, and weight-for-height when compared to NBW children. Birth weight was positively associated with all anthropometric variables, except for BMI, which was not associated with any other variable. The r2 value ranged from .09 (weight-for-age) to .72 (height-for-age). For body composition variables, older children had higher fat mass (β = .26; 95% CI = 0.05-0.48) and fat-free mass (β = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.71-1.48), and boys had lower fat percentage (β = -3.49; 95% CI = -4.35 to -2.65) and fat mass (β = -.92; 95% CI = -1.31 to -0.55) than girls. Birth weight was also positively associated with fat-free mass. LBW seems to influence some growth indicators of children living in Boane, however, current environmental factors seem to weaken this association. Our results suggest that public policies involving healthy nutrition and physical activity can reverse the effects of low weight in children from Boane.

The Relationship Between Child Anthropometry and Mortality in Developing Countries: Implications for Policy, Programs and Future Research

The prevention of child mortality is a commonly stated health goal in developing countries and the target of much international assistance in the health sector. Over the past decade the primary strategy for accelerating the reduction in child mortality has been the dissemination of simple, low-cost technologies, such as immunization, oral rehydration therapy and antibiotics, that target specific diseases (Huffmann and Steel 1994). This is done despite the knowledge that malnutrition and disease have a synergistic relationship (Scrimshaw et al. 1968) and that the optimal strategy may involve a combination of health and nutrition interventions. In the 1970s, for instance, it was estimated that malnutrition (notably protein-energy malnutrition--PEM) was the underlying or contributing cause of death for roughly half of all deaths to children aged 1-4 years in several Latin American countries (Puffer and Serrano 1973). Apart from this early study, however, there has been little effort to quantify the contribution of malnutrition to child mortality in other regions of the world in ways which are meaningful to policy. This paper reviews the results of 28 community-based, prospective studies, in 12 Asian and Sub-Saharan African countries, which examined the relationship between anthropometric indicators of malnutrition and child mortality. One purpose is to estimate the contribution of malnutrition to child mortality--distinguishing the effects of severe malnutrition from mild-to-moderate malnutrition--and to examine a number of related issues relevant to policy, programs and research in this area. The accumulated results are consistent in showing that the risk of mortality is inversely related to anthropometric indicators of nutritional status and that there is elevated risk even in the mild-to-moderate range of malnutrition. This latter result contradicts the findings from an earlier, landmark study which suggested that mild-to-moderate malnutrition was not associated with an increased risk of mortality (Chen et al. 1980). The present results indicate that somewhere between 20% and 75% of child deaths are statistically attributable to anthropometric deficits, with most estimates falling in the range 25-50%. When taking account of the relative proportions of severe versus mild-to-moderate malnutrition in the population, the results show further than 16-80% of all nutrition-related deaths are associated with mild-to-moderate malnutrition rather than severe malnutrition. In most studies 46-80% of all nutrition-related deaths are in the mild-to-moderate category.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF PUBLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS IN RURAL AND URBAN COMMUNITIES OF WARRI SOUTH

Background: The application of anthropometric measurement which entails assessing the nutritional status (stunting, wasting, obesity, overweight, and underweight) of children, is an essential part of monitoring the health of a community. Aim: To investigate and compare the anthropometric indices of nutritional status among public school pupils in rural and urban communities in Warri South LGA. Materials and Method: This comparative cross-sectional study made use of a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire while the nutritional status of the pupils was obtained using WHO AnthroPlus software. The resulting data were analysed and presented accordingly. Results: The result showed that there were slightly more males (50.9%) than females (49.1%), while urban pupils were younger than their rural counterparts. Also, the mean scores for the weight, WAZ, Height, HAZ and BAZ were 26.67±5.77, -0.96±1.49, 1.32±0.10, -0.43±1.55 and -0.67±1.13 respectively, while there was no statistically significant (p>0.05) relationship between these anthropometric variables and the sex of the pupils. However, urban pupils had a statistically significant (p<0.05) higher weight and height in comparison with their rural counterparts who on the other hand had statistically significant (p<0.05) higher HAZ and BAZ which translates to a higher amount of wasting and stunting among the urban pupils Conclusion: Children in urban primary schools are taller and fatter but more stunted and wasted. Hence, appropriate nutritional education programmes should be initiated for pupils, parents, and teachers, while more efforts should be made to improve the current school feeding program. KEYWORDS: Anthropometric indices, Nutrition, pupils, Urban, Rural.

Influência de programas federais de alimentação sobre os indicadores antropométricos do estado nutricional de adolescentes

ABSTRACT Objective To assess the influence of federal feeding programs on the anthropometric indicators of nutritional status of adolescents from Federal Institutes. Methods Temporal analysis of the anthropometric data of students from the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil (n=250), on admission in 2017 (baseline) and after one year, in 2018 (follow-up). Participation in student assistance programs, sociodemographic, anthropometric, dietary, and physical activity aspects were evaluated. The Split Plot ANOVA test was used to analyze height-for-age and body mass index-for-age as continuous variables (mean of z-score; variation in the mean of z-score between baseline and follow-up). Prevalence Ratio was used to analyze categorical variables: improvement in height-for-age (increase in z-score value between baseline and follow-up); improvement in body mass index-for-age (change in z-score towards zero between baseline and follow-up). Results There was a reduction in the height-for-age z-score (-0.173 to -0.350; p<0.001; eta=0.195), but this decline was smaller in the participants of both programs (from -0.249 to -0.357) compared to those not assisted by both simultaneously (from -0.149 to -0.345) (p=0.041). The improvement in height-for-age was positively associated with longer daily time spent at school and participation in the food program under the National Student Assistance Program. The improvement in body mass index-for-age was negatively associated with sex and positively with the number of people in the household. Conclusion The concomitant participation in the National School Feeding Program and in the National Student Assistance Program had a positive influence on the linear growth of students in situations of socioeconomic vulnerability.

Differences in disability and nutritional status among older Brazilian and English adults: the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil) and English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA) cohorts

Brazil and England are 2 countries at different stages in their demographic, epidemiological, and nutritional transitions and with distinct socioeconomic and politic contexts, but with similar universal health systems. We aimed to examine disability and its association with objective anthropometric indicators of nutritional status, including BMI, waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio, comparing older Brazilian and English adults. We used cross-sectional data from 2 nationally representative aging studies. For Brazil, we included 9412 participants who participated in the baseline (2015-2016) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brazil). The English data were from 8024 participants of the wave 6 (2012-2013) of the English Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSA). Disability was defined as difficulty to perform at least 1 activity of daily living. We used logistic regression models to examine the association between anthropometric indicators and disability, adjusted for sociodemographic and health-related characteristics, considering the interaction term between each anthropometric indicator and country. All health-related characteristics were worse in Brazil than England, although the prevalence of disability was similar among Brazilian (17.85%) and English (16.27%) older adults. Fully adjusted models showed statistically significant interaction terms between country and anthropometric indicators. The strength of the associations in Brazil was weaker compared with England. All anthropometric indicators were positively associated with disability: elevated BMI, in Brazil (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.51) and in England (OR: 1.80; 95% CI: 1.51, 2.14); elevated waist circumference, in Brazil (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.44) and in England (OR: 1.90; 95% CI: 1.51, 2.37); and elevated waist-to-height ratio, in Brazil (OR: 1.20; 95% CI: 0.96, 1.52) and in England (OR: 1.83; 95% CI: 1.37, 2.44). Elevated BMI and waist circumference increased the odds of disability in both populations. However, these associations were stronger in England than in Brazil.

Association of sickle cell disease with anthropometric indices among under-five children: evidence from 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey

BackgroundMalnutrition continues to affect under-five children in Africa to an overwhelming proportion. The situation is further compounded by the burden of sickle cell disease (SCD). However, association of SCD with stunting, wasting, and underweight in a nationally representative sample of under-five children remains unexplored. We aimed to describe prevalence of undernutrition by sickle cell status, to evaluate its association with growth faltering ascertained by anthropometric indices, and to explore mediating role of hemoglobin.MethodsWe availed data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and the sample comprised 11,233 children aged 6–59 months who were successfully genotyped for SCD. The DHS employed a two-stage, stratified sampling strategy. SickleSCAN rapid diagnostic test was used for SCD genotyping. Z-scores of length/height-for-age (HAZ), weight-for-height (WHZ), and weight-for-age (WAZ) were computed against the 2006 World Health Organization Child Growth Standards. We fitted logistic regression models to evaluate association of SCD with stunting, wasting, and underweight. Mediation analysis was performed to capture the indirect effect of and proportion of total effect mediated through hemoglobin level in SCD-anthropometric indices association.ResultsPrevalences of stunting, wasting, and underweight among children with SCD were 55.4% (54.5–56.4), 9.1% (8.6–9.7), and 38.9% (38.0–39.8), respectively. The odds of stunting were 2.39 times higher (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.39, 95% CI: 1.26–4.54) among sickle children than those with normal hemoglobin. SCD was also significantly associated with underweight (aOR 2.64, 95% CI: 1.25–5.98), but not with wasting (aOR: 1.60, 95% CI 0.85–3.02). Association of SCD with all three anthropometric indices was significantly mediated through hemoglobin level: for SCD-HAZ, the adjusted indirect effect (aIE) was − 0.328 (95% CI: − 0.387, − 0.270); for SCD-WHZ, the aIE was − 0.080 (95% CI: − 0.114, − 0.050); and for SCD-WAZ, the aIE was − 0.245 (95% CI: − 0.291, − 0.200).ConclusionWe presented compelling evidence of the negative impact of SCD on anthropometric indices of nutritional status of under-five children. Integration of a nutrition-oriented approach into a definitive SCD care package and its nationwide implementation could bring promising results by mitigating the nutritional vulnerability of children with SCD.

Association of anthropometric indices of nutritional status with growth in height among Limboo children of Sikkim, India.

Aim: Influence of nutrition in human growth failure, especially stunting, is a well-accepted idea. The present study assesses the influence of nutrition and non-nutritional factors on height growth in a short stature population. Material and methods: The present study was conducted among the children and adolescents of Sikkim, India. The sample size was 538 (boys and girls) of age 2-18 years. The anthropometric indices mid upper arm circumference-for-age Z-scores (MUACZ) and BMI-for-age Z-scores (BAZ) were utilised as proxy of nutritional status and growth was assessed using height-for-age Z-scores (HAZ). Associations were assessed using correlation, St. Nicolas house analysis (SNHA), principal component analysis (PCA) and regression. Results: Nutritional status of the participating children and adolescents as assessed by MUACZ and BAZ were largely normal. Despite variation in HAZ from -4 to +2 there was no influence of the nutritional indices on height. Further, there was clear lack of association between HAZ and socio-economic variables in the present study. Conclusion: The findings of the present study suggest nutrition is not the primary regulator of human growth. The possible influence of community effects on height is discussed.

He Has Gone to a Better Place, but She Has Not: Health Status of Hindu Widows in India

Using detailed individual and household-level data from the first two rounds of the India Human Development Survey (IHDS) conducted in 2004–05 and 2011–12, this paper estimates the health gap that exists between married and widowed women from Hindu households. We use the most commonly used anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in adults – body mass index and incidence of underweight – to estimate and decompose the gap in health outcomes that exists between these two groups of women. The overall results presented in this paper suggest that widows from Hindu households have significantly lower body mass index and higher incidence of underweight compared to their married counterparts and also experience high levels of discrimination. Access to various government welfare schemes and increased autonomy, however, is found to offset the detrimental health effects of widowhood to a large extent.

Eveningness in Energy Intake among Adolescents with Implication on Anthropometric Indicators of Nutritional Status: The CRO-PALS Longitudinal Study.

Shifting of energy intake towards a later time in the day is associated with an increased risk of obesity in adults. However, there is a lack of data for adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate adolescents eveningness in energy intake (EV) and its association with anthropometric indicators of nutritional status. This investigation was based on results from the Croatian physical activity in adolescence longitudinal study (CRO-PALS). The cohort included 607 adolescents (50.25% females and 49.75% males) who were assessed at the age of 15/16 and 18/19. A single multi-pass 24-h recall was used as a dietary assessment method, while anthropometric indicators of nutritional status included body mass index (BMI), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and the sum of four skinfolds. The School Health Action, Planning and Evaluation System (SHAPES) questionnaire was used to assess active daily energy expenditure and sedentary behaviors. EV was significantly higher at 18/19 years compared to 15/16 years in whole population (p < 0.01), among male adolescents (p < 0.01), but not among female adolescents (p > 0.05). Although a significant correlation between EV and WHR was found in females at the age of 15/16 (p < 0.01), the results of this study suggest that EV has no or a minor effect on anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in adolescence.

Biochemical Indicators of Malnutrition in Children with Chronic Kidney Disease on Peritoneal Dialysis, Hemodialysis and Post-Transplant Kidney

Abstract Objectives To demonstrate differences in the profile of biochemical indicators of nutritional status in children with End-stage renal disease (ESRD) between peritoneal dialysis (PD), hemodialysis (HD), and renal transplantation (RT). Methods Analytical cross-sectional study. A total of 130 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age with ESRD were included: 49 children in RT, 33 in PD, and 48 in HD. The biochemical indicators (hemoglobin, glucose, albumin, total cholesterol, and triglycerides) and anthropometric indicators of nutritional status were obtained. ANOVA, T-student, and Pearson correlation were performed. For nonparametric variables, Chi-square, U-Mann Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and odds ratio were used. Results The frequency of hypoalbuminemia was higher in the PD group than in the RT group [OR = 56.4 (6.9, 459) P &amp;lt; 0.001] and the HD group [OR = 10.08 (3.1, 319) P &amp;lt; 0.001]. Anemia was higher in the HD group compared with the RT group [OR = 4.9 (2.1, 11.2) P &amp;lt; 0.001] and the PD group [OR = 3.0 (1.3, 7.7), P = 0.02]. Cholesterol serum concentration was higher in the PD group compared to the RT group [OR = 27.4 (3.3, 225), P &amp;lt; 0.01] and the HD group [OR = 26.2 (3.2, 215), P &amp;lt; 0.001]. Patients in the PD group had a higher risk of hypertriglyceridemia than the RT group [OR = 5.5 (1.9, 15.7), P = 0.002] and the HD group [OR = 2.3 (1.1, 5.4), P = 0.04]. Albumin correlated with tricipital skinfold and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) in the RT group; with subscapular skinfold (SSF) in the HD group; and with height, SSF, and MUAC in PD group. Conclusions There are substantial differences in the biochemical indicators of nutritional status depending on the renal substitution program. Funding Sources Project supported by the National Council of Science and Technology of Mexico.

Comparison of Anthropometric Indicators of Nutritional Status Between Hospitalized Lao Adults With and Without Malnutrition

Comparison of Anthropometric Indicators of Nutritional Status Between Hospitalized Lao Adults With and Without Malnutrition

How do the intestinal infections proceeding with the haemocolitis syndrome influence anthropometrical indicators of the nutritional status of children?

This article presents the results of a study of the nutritional status of children with acute intestinal infections (AII) occurring with hemocolitis syndrome. It was found that the nutritional status reflects the severity of the pathological process, and its dynamics allows to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy. The aim of the work was to study the changes in anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in the treatment of AII with hemocolitis syndrome in children. 50 patients with AII with hemocolitis syndrome aged from 5 months to 8 years were observed in an infectious hospital. Patients were divided by age: group 1 – breast age (n = 10), group 2 – early age (n = 27), group 3 – preschool age (n = 10), group 4 – school age (n = 3). The nutritional status of patients was studied in dynamics on the 1st and 7th day of inpatient treatment according. Analysis of research data was performed using Studentʼs t-test, U-Mann-Whitney test, Kruskal-Wallis criterion. The level and harmony of physical development of children in all groups at the time of admission to the hospital did not differ significantly. In the course of treatment, positive dynamics was noted in group 1 by the values of body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.05), Z-score BMI (p = 0.04), body weight deviation by height (in %) (p = 0.05); in group 2 – by the values of body weight by height (p = 0.05). Positive dynamics of nutrition indicators in group 1 was combined with a high frequency of diagnosis of unspecified forms of AII (60%). The negative dynamics of most indicators was observed in group 3, which was accompanied by a high frequency of diagnosis of refined (bacterial) etiological forms of AII (90%). The obtained data show that the dynamics of nutritional status of patients with AII with hemocolitis syndrome during therapy was more favorable in infants and young children and less favorable in preschool children, depended on the etiology of the disease and reflected its impact on metabolism.

Ultra-processed food consumption and adiposity trajectories in a Brazilian cohort of adolescents: ELANA study

Background/objectivesIn Brazil, the increase in obesity rates has been accompanied by increased consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF). The objective of this paper was to evaluate body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (%BF) trajectories in adolescents over a 3-year follow-up according to the frequency of UPF consumption.Subjects/methodsData of three consecutive years (2010, 2011, and 2012) were obtained from the Adolescent Nutritional Assessment Longitudinal Study (ELANA) that aimed to assess changes in anthropometric indicators of nutritional status, and 1035 adolescents enrolled in the 1st year of high school from six schools (four private and two public) in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil were included. At three follow-ups, they had their weights and heights measured. Body composition was measured at the first and second follow-ups. Mixed linear regression models were used to estimate BMI and %BF trajectories based on quartiles of UPF intake, adjusting for type of school, sex, physical activity, and underreporting.ResultsCompared to their counterparts in the 1st quartile, adolescents in the 4th quartile of UPF consumption had a lower daily intake of fruits, cooked vegetables, and raw vegetables and a higher intake of total sugar and physical activity levels (p < 0.001). There was an inverse association between UPF consumption and BMI both at baseline and at follow-up. Values for %BF followed the same trend. Adolescents in the 4th quartile had the greatest level of physical activity and lowest total energy intake.ConclusionThis study confirmed that greater intake of UPF is a marker of an unhealthy diet, but did not support the hypothesis of a high rate of change in BMI associated with greater UPF consumption, even after adjusting for physical activity.

Factors Associated With Anthropometric Indicators of Nutritional Status in Children With Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Peritoneal Dialysis, Hemodialysis, and After Kidney Transplant

The objective of the study was to demonstrate that there are differences in the factors associated with anthropometric indicators of nutritional status, with particular emphasis on arm indicators, in children with end-stage kidney disease undergoing peritoneal dialysis (PD), hemodialysis (HD), and after kidney transplant (KT). An analytical cross-sectional study of consecutive cases included 130 children and adolescents with end-stage kidney disease undergoing substitutive treatment: 49 patients who underwent KT, 33 undergoing PD, and 47 undergoing HD. Socioeconomic data were obtained from all the 3 groups; anthropometric indicators of nutritional status were calculated. Student's t-test and analysis of variance were used for parametric variables. Chi-square test, Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and odds ratio (OR) were used for nonparametric variables. The number of parents living as couples was higher for patients who underwent KT (OR=3.5 [95% confidence interval {CI} 1.34-9.0]) and undergoing PD (OR=3.0 [95% CI 1.06-8.8]) than those undergoing HD. The number of mothers who worked outside the home was higher for patients who underwent KT and undergoing PD than the mothers of patients undergoing HD (OR=13.7 [95% CI: 4.56-41.05]; OR=15.4 [CI 95% 4.8-49], respectively). Family income was higher for patients who underwent KT and undergoing PD (P=.019, P=.093, respectively). More than 40% of patients in all the 3 groups had growth impairment. Body mass index, mid-upper arm circumference, tricipital and subscapular skinfolds, total arm area, and arm fat area were affected in HD and PD groups (9 to 40%), while of the patients who underwent KT, 36.7% were overweight or obese. More than 50% of patients who underwent KT and undergoing HD and PD had involvement in the arm muscular area. Socioeconomic conditions are more influential for children in the HD program. The nutritional status of children after KT improves; however, not all anthropometric indicators are fully recovered. Children after KT are up to 9 times more likely to be overweight or obese.

Complementary feeding practices of children (6 months-23 months) in and around Lucknow, India

Background: According to infant and child mortality in India, levels trends and determinants the under 5 mortality rates (UFMR) of India is facing a steady decline but at this rate India could not meet its target of millennium development goal-4 (MDG-4), which aimed to reduced UFMR by 2/3rds between 1990 and 2015. Objective of the current study was to study the complementary feeding practices amongst children of age group 6 months to 23 months in Lucknow.Methods: In this prospective cross sectional study 256 mothers were interviewed over a period of 6 months at a referral care centre in Lucknow. Children of age groups 6-8 months, 9-11 months and 12-23 months attending the Paediatric OPD were included in the study. WHO anthropometric indices of nutritional status: weight-for-age, length-for-age and weight-for-length, expressed in standard deviation (SD) units (z-scores) were calculated. Information on feeding practices and various particulars of the study children were taken into account and the WHO Indicators for assessing infant and young child feeding practices were calculated. Complementary feeding index CFI was calculated using these WHO indicators.Results: In the study group 24% of the children were stunted, 38% were underweight and 35% were wasted. The CFI was seen to be low in 32%, medium in 61% and high only in 7% children. It was found that parental education had significant correlation with CFI. Weight for height was significantly associated with CFI (p=0.011).Conclusions: CFI is an important tool to target the lacunae in complementary feeding practices. The CFI scores directly correlate with the nutrition status of children thus targeting the determinants of CFI will bring a positive change in infant and young child feeding practices.

Anthropometric indicators as predictors in determining frailty in elderly people

The scope of this article is to analyze anthropometric indicators as predictors in determining frailty in elderly people. This is a cross-sectional, family-based and analytical study. The survey was composed of 316 elderly subjects. The association between the anthropometric markers and frailty was tested using the Logistic Regression technique. However, the power of frailty diagnosis using anthropometric markers and the identification of the best cutoff points were evaluated using the parameters provided by the Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve. The anthropometric indicators of nutritional status: calf circumference, body mass index and corrected arm-muscle area are inversely associated with frailty. Thus, an increase in the values of these indicators is a protective factor against this syndrome. Analyzing body mass index and calf circumference simultaneously in order to perform a simpler screening for frail elderly people is recommended, as these indicators show good sensitivity and are easier to measure.

Positive effects of refugee presence on host community nutritional status in Turkana County, Kenya.

Refugee camps are often assumed to negatively impact local host communities through resource competition and conflict. We ask instead whether economic resources and trade networks associated with refugees have benefits for host community health and nutrition. To address this question we assess the impacts of Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya, comparing anthropometric indicators of nutritional status between Turkana communities in the region. Participants were recruited at four sites in Turkana County (N = 586): Kakuma Town, adjacent to Kakuma Refugee Camp; Lorugum, an area with sustained economic development; Lokichoggio, formerly host to international NGOs, and now underdeveloped; and Lorengo, an undeveloped, rural community. We evaluated nutritional status using summed skinfold thickness and body mass index (BMI). Structured interviews provided contextual data. Age-controlled multiple regression models reveal two distinct skinfold thickness profiles for both sexes: comparatively elevated values in Kakuma and Lorugum, and significantly lower values in Lorengo and Lokichoggio. BMI did not vary significantly by location. Despite better nutritional status, a large proportion of Kakuma residents still report worries about basic needs, including hunger, health, and economic security. Kakuma Refugee Camp is associated with better host community energetic status indicators, compared to other relevant, regional sites varying in development and resources. Based on global nutritional standards, observed differences likely represent meaningful disparities in overall health. We suggest that access to cereals via refugee trade networks and employment might mediate this relationship. However, perceptions of refugees as illegitimate interlopers maintain a high psychological burden.

Nutritional transition in schoolchildren of the forest and agreste zones of Pernambuco according to anthropometric indicators of nutritional status

The aim of this study was to analyze the indicators of growth in children of Forest and Agreste Zones of Pernambuco, and to determine the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and malnutrition. A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 1,165 children in the school system, between the years 2010 and 2011 (5 to 10 years old) in the cities of Caruaru and Vitoria de Santo Antao. The body mass and height were used to determine body mass index (BMI). The Z score and the respective distances were used for sample stratification. The Graph Error Bar was used to identify the average distances and the confidence interval (95% CI) according to age and gender. Between girls, in all ages, the occurrence of malnutrition and low weight were observed, but overweight and obesity were not identified. In boys, conditions of malnutrition and low weight were not found. On the other hand, the occurrence of overweight and obesity were verified. The profiles observed of the children of studied cities showed that the subjects are within the WHO’s normal range. However, there are typical cases of nutritional transition, namely subjects with malnutrition and obesity within the same population.

Deficits in anthropometric indices of nutritional status and motor performance among low birth weight children from Maputo City, Mozambique.

To evaluate associations between low birth weight (LBW) and anthropometry, body composition, physical fitness, and gross motor coordination among schoolchildren from Maputo, Mozambique. A total of 353 children aged 7 to 10 years old from both genders born in Maputo (Mozambique) were sampled. The sample was divided into two groups: LBW (n = 155) and normal birth weight (NBW, n = 198). Body composition measurements and indices weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height were assessed. Physical fitness was assessed by handgrip strength, flexibility, agility, long jump, and running speed. Gross motor coordination was evaluated by using the Korper Koordination Test fur Kinder (KTK) battery. LBW children were lighter and smaller than NBW children with reduced indices for weight-for-age and height-for-age. They also showed a reduced performance in handgrip strength and sideways movement tests. These differences remained significant even after adjustment for age, gender, body size, and fatness skinfold thickness. LBW seems to be the major factor that influences anthropometry, and is a predictor of low muscle strength and low performance on sideways movement tests. This result suggests that growth faltering in LBW children is associated with adverse health consequences, even after controlling for gender, age, fatness, and body size.

Dietary and anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in relation to Helicobacter pylori infection in a paediatric population.

It has been postulated that Helicobacter pylori infection could affect growth and appetite, consequently influencing body weight. Therefore, the association between H. pylori infection and the dietary and anthropometric indicators of nutritional status of a paediatric population were investigated. A total of 525 children (aged 4-16 years) who were referred to the gastroenterology unit of the Sor Maria Ludovica Children's Hospital from Buenos Aires, Argentina, were enrolled and completed an epidemiological questionnaire. H. pylori infection was diagnosed using the ¹³C-urea breath test (¹³C-UBT). Height and weight were assessed for calculation of anthropometric indicators. Energy and macronutrient intakes were estimated by 24 h dietary recall. Data analysis was performed using a χ² test, a Student's t test, a Mann-Whitney U test and linear and logistic regressions. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 25·1 % (with a mean age of 10·1 (SD 3·1) years). A tendency towards lower energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat intakes was observed in infected patients; however, it was not associated with H. pylori infection in any of the evaluated age groups (4-8, 9-13 and 14-16 years). Underweight, stunting, overweight and obesity were also not associated with the infection. Although height-for-age and BMI-for-age Z scores tended to be lower in infected patients, the differences between H. pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative children were not statistically significant. In conclusion, H. pylori infection was not associated with dietary intake or with anthropometric indicators in the present population of children with gastrointestinal symptoms; however, an increased sample size would be needed to confirm the observed tendency towards lower dietary intake and lower anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in H. pylori-infected children.