Evaluation of malnutrition prevalence and its related factors in primary school students in Kurdistan Province

Children are vulnerable because of their special age characteristics. Investigation of nutritional status of students can lead to design appropriate plans on teaching and hygienic programs. Correct nutrition is an important factor influencing learning ability, development of the educational growth, improvement of teaching, leading to increased investment on education and national profit. The aim of this study was to use anthropometric techniques for assessment of nutritional status in primary school students in Kurdistan Province, Iran.

This was a descriptive- analytic cross-sctional study and included 1100 students selected by cluster sampling. Indices measured in this study were weight for age (W/A), weight for height (W/H), and height for age (H/A) and were compared to indices of NCHS standards. Based on the view of Ministry of Education, Kurdistan Province was divided into three parts; affluent, semi affluent and less affluent areas. Some data were collected by interviewing students and their parents or obtained from their health records. Epi-Info 2000 and SPSS were used for data processing. X2 and ANOVA tests were used for data analysis.

According to the results of this study, the prevalence rates of malnutrition were 27.5, 32.3 and 36.9 percent for indices of W/A, W/H, and H/A respectively. There was a significant relationship between the mothers` occupations and chronic malnutrition (H/A), and also W/H (p<0.01). There was a significant relationship between the parents education level and H/A, and W/H (p<0.01) A significant relationship was noticed between weekly consumption of meat and chronic malnutrition (p<0.05). There was also a significant relationship between weekly consumption of cheese and milk and chronic malnutrition (p<0.01). The study showed a significant relationship between consumption of soft drinks and chronic malnutrition (p<0.01), and a significant relationship between consumption of confectioneries and W/H (p<0.01).

The prevalence rate of malnutrition in the primary school students in Kurdsitan province was higher than those of other countries, but it is more desirable than those of some of other provinces of Iran.