An intervention Program to Improve the Nutritional Status of Children Aged 2-6 Years in Day Care Centers of East Azerbaijan Province of Iran
Subject Areas :Mina Minaie 1 , Fathollah Pourali 2 , Zahra Abdollahi 3
1 - Community Nutrition Improvement Office of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education |Faculty of Nutrition & Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences
2 - Health Deputy of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences
3 - Community Nutrition Improvement Office of the Ministry of Health and Medical Education
Keywords: Obesity, Overweight, Pediatric, Malnutrition, Underweight,
Abstract :
Introduction: Child health is very important in all societies which is influenced by the interaction of multiple factors. Good nutrition for children is one of the most important and influential factors in the health of children in this study to evaluate the effectiveness of one meal warm food for the rural kindergarten of the East Azerbaijan Province of Iran on anthropometrics indices of children have been carried out. Method: In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric z scores of 7116 children were measured by using WHO Anthro and Anthro plus software based on WHO 2007 standards and analyzed using SPSS. Results: Based on the present findings, 8% of children showed moderate to severe lower weight for height. Also, girls showed more severe underweight than boys. BMI-for-age children from approximately 5% of moderate to severe underweight has decreased to about 3%. The frequency of normal children increased from 85% to about 86%. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were observed after the intervention reduced slightly. Also the percentage of overweight of children in the study was lightly changed to obese. Between the two genders, male and female, overweight and obesity in boys found higher than girls, and relatively similar trends have continued after the intervention. This project was successful to lower moderately severe wasting in children based on body mass index from 7% to about 5%. The slight increase in the scale of overweight and obesity and a half percent of overweight children after the program was shown. Even though boys showed a higher increase of obesity and overweight than girls, reduction of moderate and severe underweight found similarly in both genders. Conclusion: Due to the relative success of the present intervention plan, nutritional education along these kinds of projects may improve the nutritional status of children in society and prevent pediatric malnutrition.