Body Mass Index Profile of School Children aged 6 – 12 Years in Ilorin, North-Central Nigeria.

Abstract

Body mass index (BMI), defined as weight in kilograms divided by height in meter square, is a reliable indicator of body fat and is sex and age dependent in children. It is a measure of nutritional assessment, useful in the demonstration of the pattern of nutritional transition being experienced around the world today. Under-nutrition (underweight/stunting) and over-nutrition (overweight/obesity) are now seen to be co-existing in developing parts of the world despite the prevailing poor socioeconomic situations.

BMI growth chart percentiles categorize underweight as BMI less than the 5^th percentile, healthy weight as BMI between 5^th and 84^th percentile, overweight as BMI of 85^th percentile to < 95^th percentile and obesity as BMI of ≥ 95^th percentile.

This was aimed at determining the Body Mass Index of school – aged children in Ilorin.

Cross sectional descriptive study of school – aged children in Ilorin Kwara State using a multi – staged sampling techniques was conducted. Sixteen primary schools, eight public and eight private school pupils were recruited. The anthropometric measurements were taken to determine the anthropometric indices using the World Health Organization reference 2007.

A total number of 480 primary school pupils from Ilorin were recruited. Males were 221 (46.0%) with a M:F of 1:1.2 and a mean age of 9.2 ± 1.8 years. The mean BMI of the study population was 15.7 ± 2.4 kg/m². The prevalence of underweight and stunting was 15.4% and 11.5%, while the prevalence of overweight and obesity were 7.3% and 3.1% respectively.

The study affirms the existent of double burden of malnutrition among school children in Ilorin. Routine nutritional assessment of primary school children and the implementation of school meal program is advocated.

Key Words: Under-Nutrition, Over-Nutrition, School Age, Body Mass Index, Malnutrition