ABSTRACT
To evaluate and compare the nutritional status of adolescent girls in two educational districts in the city of Kerman. There were some social and economic differences between the two districts. We went to schools in the two districts and picked 395 students by classified cluster sampling. Questionnaires dealing with social and economic data were filled up by interviewing mothers and for an approximate 20% of the sample blood tests were performed to measure hemoglobin and hematocrit. Assessment of nutritional status was done using the following indices: weight for age [WA], height for age [HA] and Body Mass Index. The WA and HA were evaluated based on NCHS and the BMI was assessed based on CDC data. The mean hemoglobin values in the first and second districts were 13.97 and 14.04, while mean hematocrit values in districts 1 and 2 were 43.05% and 43.7% respectively; none of these differences were statistically significant. The rate of severe malnutrition in the first and second districts based on the index of weight for age and according to standard growth charts were 3.9% and 4.7%, while the same rate based on the index of height for age was 7% and 4.7% respectively. These differences were not statistically significant. Intake of energy, protein, vitamin A, iron and zinc was greater in the first district but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Our findings showed that in both districts the rate of protein and iron intake exceeded 100% of RDA; the rate of zinc intake in the first district was 106.2%. In both districts the lowest amount of intake was recorded for calcium. The difference between the daily intakes of nutrients in the two districts was not statistically significant. This study showed that the nutritional status is similar in the two educational districts of Kerman in terms of anemia, food intake and malnutrition; we recommend that their intake of foods rich in calcium and vitamin A be increased
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Students , Schools , Surveys and Questionnaires , Mothers , Body Mass Index , Hemoglobins , MalnutritionABSTRACT
The effects of population aging are becoming apparent throughout the world. Diseases, such as cardio-vascular disease [CVD] and diabetes, are among the most important factors affecting morbidity and mortality, especially in the elderly. These diseases not only result in huge economic costs for treatment and care, but also results in hardship and time lost for relatives of the afflicted individuals. The association between nutritional status and disease is well known. In the present study, the effects of both under-nutrition and over-nutrition on the prevalence of disease are monitored in an urban Iranian elderly population. Thus far, no similar study has been performed in the Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Isfahan, Iran, during late 2003 on 1694 elderly people [731 males, 963 females], aged 60 years and older. Subjects were randomly chosen from all urban elderly people during a door-to-door and weight and height survey. They were selected using a cluster sampling method, each containing 30 clusters. From each cluster, 58 elderly were selected at random. Using each subjects body mass index [BMI], the nutritional status was categorized as overweight [BMI greater than 25], underweight [BMI less than 19] and normal [having a BMI equal to or more than 19 and equal to or less than 25]. Any illnesses known to each subject were also recorded. Results showed that 4.7% of the subjects were underweight and 61.2% overweight. Women were more likely to be overweight and long periods of watching television increased the risk of overweight in all subjects. Being overweight was associated with diabetes and coronary vascular diseases, and lean people were less likely to suffer from such diseases. This study indicates a high prevalence of overweight among the Iranian elderly population, indicating the need for improvement in nutritional status in order to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and CVD