New growth charts for Libyan preschool children

To draw up new growth charts for Libyan children under 5 years of age, a cross-sectional survey was carried out in urban and rural areas in 2 regions of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from June 1999 to February 2000. Using WHO cluster sampling methodology, 1473 infants and children of both sexes aged between 0 and 59 months were selected from residential areas, maternal and child health centres, kindergartens and the delivery section of hospitals. Growth charts for weight-for-age, height for-age and weight-for-height were plotted and smoothed, to provide reference curves for clinical, epidemiological and research purposes. In addition, mean Z-scores were analysed by sociodemographic variables collected from interviews with parents. Factors with a strong influence on childhood growth patterns were child's age, mother's education level and sex

Nutritional status of Libyan children in 2000 compared with 1979

This cross-sectional study examined the growth and nutritional status of Libyan preschool children and the socioeconomic status of their parents in 2000 and compared the results with those of a similar study conducted in 1979. The investigation involved 1614 healthy children of both sexes under 5 years of age in two regions of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. Simple random sampling and cluster sampling techniques were used to enlist participants. Body weight, height, and head and arm circumference of the children were recorded and mothers were interviewed about their child's health and the socioeconomic status of the family. Significant improvements in nutritional status since 1979 were found that could be attributable to factors such as socioeconomic development, longer breastfeeding, greater availability of high energy foods, supplementation with semi-solid or solid foods and heavy government subsidy of basic foods

Growth of preschool children in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya: regional and sociodemographic differences

This cross-sectional study was performed in two regions of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya. The aim was to study the growth and nutritional status of children under 5 years of age and the effect of socioeconomic factors on child development. Anthropometric indices [weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height] differed in the two regions. The prevalence of stunting was significantly higher among children from mainly rural Al Jabel Al Garby [6.1%] than those from urban Tripoli [2.5%]. The z-scores that correlated strongly with under-nutrition included: mother's education, child's age and sex, and region. Stunting was significantly related to age and region and to maternal education level and family size. Wasting was highly correlated with maternal education