Schoolchildren’s growth and current nutrition situation / Монголын Анагаах Ухаан

ABSTRACT

Goal To determine schoolchildren’s growth and nutrition situationMaterials and MethodsThe descriptive and cross sectional study was carried out in 4 districts of Ulaanbaatar city (750 schoolchildren from each district) and 2 aimags (889 schoolchildren from Uvurkhangai and 925 from Dornod) of Mongolia. The study was conducted in two steps, Step 1 or beginning of school year covered totally 4760 schoolchildren and in end of school year totally 4108 schoolchildren. Data for the survey was collected by using questionnaire and clinical examintions and antropometric measurements. Weight of schoolchildren was used UNISCALE electrical scales with precision to 100g and height was used standard measurement with precision to 1mm. Schoolchildren’s growth was assessed by method “Sigma” and compared to the survey “Growth means of schoolchildren up to 16 years of Mongolia” (PHI, 2006). The nutritional status of schoolchildren were taken in accordance with the Z score calculated with relation to WHO average population anthropometric reference (WHO, 1995). Also determined current nutrition situation of surveyed schoolchildren by using 24 hours recall method and assessed. Nutrition assessment was used the standard indicators of Technical Committee, WHO [3, 7, 8].ResultsA total of 4760 (46.6% boys and 53.4% girls) school children were present beginning of the school year and 4108 (46.0% boys and 54% girls) of their were end of school year during the visit. Almost 60 of the total school children were from districts of UB beginning and end of school year. Beginning of the school year, 5.1 percent of total surveyed schoolchildren were assessed underweight and 14.1 percent is stunting, 1.7 percent is wasting and end of school year it was 4.7 percent underweight, 13.9 percent stunting and 1.2 percent wasting.71.7 percent of total respondents have breakfast sometimes, 83.2 of them have a lunch only one time per day, and 38.3 percent of total daily energy takes from dinner and have not any difference between age groups. Consumption of food products such as green vegetables, beef liver which are rich with vitamin A is inadequate. Example; among 7-10 years old 184.9 mcg, 11-14 years 247.2 mcg, above 15 years old was 241.6 mcg. Amount minerals such as calcium and phosphorium per day was among 7-10 years old 398.2mg and 756.1мг, 11-14 насанд кальци 277.8-301.5мг, фосфор 688.6-899.5мг, above 15 years old was calcium 366.4-378.3mg, phosphorium 875.3-978.8mg. Dairy consumption was analyzed by urban and rural areas among schoolchildren and it was among urban schoolchildren is more by 16.6-21.4 percent from rural areas.Conclusion:1. The progress made improving gradually the nutritional status of schoolchildren from previous study. The prevalence of underweight, stunting and wasting is “low” level among schoolchildren by WHO. There is statistically significant lower nutritional status among schoolchildren in rural area than in urban.2. Micronutrient deficiency is main reason of undernutrition among schoolchildren. In other words, the vitamins (C, A, D), and minerals (Ca, Fe) which are essential for schoolchildren growth and fiber is insufficient in their food. The consumption of diary is inadequate among schoolchildren of rural area compared to urban.3. Consumption of fruits and vegetables and diary products is inadeguate among total surveyed schoolchildren especially in rural area.