학술논문
Anthropometric profiles of 8-11 year old children from a low-income setting in South Africa
Document Type
Report
Source
BMC Public Health. March 18, 2019, Vol. 19 Issue 1
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
1471-2458
Abstract
Author(s): Sandra S. Pretorius[sup.1,2] , Natalia Neophytou[sup.1] and Estelle D. Watson[sup.1] Background In low-to-middle income countries (LMIC), the nutritional status of the population is somewhat complex. A pattern of malnutrition [...]
Background Communities in low-to-middle income countries undergoing rapid urbanisation as well as nutrition transition are particularly at risk for associated health issues such as overweight and obesity. South Africa has a double-burden of both under- and over-nutrition, creating some uncertainty as to where to direct healthcare interventions. Therefore, providing anthropometric data in vulnerable populations, such as in early childhood, is much needed. Methods This observational study assessed height, weight, head circumference and age-adjusted BMI in 1785 Grade 4 (9.5 [+ or -] 0.7 years old) learners from 12 schools in two different areas in South Africa. Results Overall, the results of this study found a higher prevalence of overnutrition (>95th percentile for age-adjusted BMI) than undernutrition ( Conclusion South African children living in urban areas are particularly vulnerable to high rates of overweight and obesity. Therefore, interventions that are area and context specific are needed to address the issues of malnutrition in South Africa. Keywords: Malnutrition, Overweight, Obesity, Urbanisation, Childhood, Anthropometry
Background Communities in low-to-middle income countries undergoing rapid urbanisation as well as nutrition transition are particularly at risk for associated health issues such as overweight and obesity. South Africa has a double-burden of both under- and over-nutrition, creating some uncertainty as to where to direct healthcare interventions. Therefore, providing anthropometric data in vulnerable populations, such as in early childhood, is much needed. Methods This observational study assessed height, weight, head circumference and age-adjusted BMI in 1785 Grade 4 (9.5 [+ or -] 0.7 years old) learners from 12 schools in two different areas in South Africa. Results Overall, the results of this study found a higher prevalence of overnutrition (>95th percentile for age-adjusted BMI) than undernutrition ( Conclusion South African children living in urban areas are particularly vulnerable to high rates of overweight and obesity. Therefore, interventions that are area and context specific are needed to address the issues of malnutrition in South Africa. Keywords: Malnutrition, Overweight, Obesity, Urbanisation, Childhood, Anthropometry