Comparative studies of the nutritional indices of rural and urban school age children in Umuahia

Abstract

Malnutrition is a major health problem among young children in third World countries. In the present study, a comparative assessment of the nutritional indices of rural and urban school children in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria was undertaken by assessing both anthropometric and biochemical parameters of these children. A total of one hundred and forty three (143) subjects were used for the study .

Seventy one (71) children were from the rural school and seventy two (72) from the urban school with age range of 6-13 years . The anthropometric measurements examined.

Included mid –upper –arm circumference , chest circumference , weight and height. Results showed that there were no significant differences in the anthropometric measurements (p > 0.05) between the two groups studied. The biochemical parameters assayed were total cholesterol, total proteins, albumin and globulin. There were also no significant differences in the biochemical parameters assayed when the two groups were compared. These findings probably suggest that malnutrition between the age range of 6-13 years is rare among primary school children in rural and urban Umuahia.


Key Words: Malnutrition, Antrhropometric measurements, biochemical, indices.


(Global J Med Sci: 2003 2(1): 27-32)