The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status of Chilean school children of different socioeconomic status (SES). A representative sample of 4,355 school children aged 5–18 years, from elementary and high school, was chosen from Chile's Metropolitan Region (representative of 38.0% of the Chilean school population), according to grade, type of school, sex and geographic area. SES was measured through Graffar's Modified Method and nutritional status by means of anthropometry measurements. Percentages of adequacy of weight for age (% W/A), height for age (% H/A) and weight for height (% W/H) were compared with WHO tables. Median weights and heights of school children showed a nutritional status improvement in all age groups as compared with previous findings. On the other hand, overnutrition (% W/H) is now the most significant nutritional problem in all SES groups especially in females, suggesting that this problem must be prevented through primary health care nutrition programmes.
Ecology of Food and Nutrition
Volume 26, 1991 - Issue 1
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