Estado nutricional de escolares en condiciones de pobreza urbana y rural: región metropolitana, Chile, 1986-1987 / Nutritional status in school children of urban and rural poor conditions at metropolitan region, Chile, 1986-1987

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional status of poor children from urban and rural areas and to quantify the impact of socioeconomic, sociocultural and family variables on nutritional status. Weight/age, height/age, weight/height and head circumference percentages were measured in a representative sample of 4509 school children, 39 percent belonging to a low socioeconomic status and living in the metropolitan region, chosen according to grade, type of school, sex and geographic area. Children coming from rural areas had significantly higher percentages of undernutrition than children from urban areas according to weight/age, (47 vs 34 percent) and weight/height (7,7 vs 4.6 percent); likewise they had a higher proportion of height/age ratios below 90 percent (10,3 vs 5.2 percent). Head circumference was below 100 percent in 77 and 65 percent of rural and urban children. Brachial anthropometric variables were also lower in rural children. The number of siblings and family size were the independent variables with the greatest explanatory power for weight/age and height/age variations. Mother's instruction in urban areas and crowding, family alcoholism and mother's instruction in rural areas, were the independent variables with the greatest explanatory power for head circumference variation. It is concluded that the significant relationship found between socioeconomic, sociocultural and family variables and nutritional status is relevant, considering that the sample was homogenous in each geographic area