Probl Hig Epidemiol 2017, 98(4): 381-386pl

Assessment of nutritional status of schoolchildren from Małopolska region

Ewa Błaszczyk-Bębenek, Jaśmina Żwirska, Małgorzata Schlegel-Zawadzka

Zakład Żywienia Człowieka, Instytut Zdrowia Publicznego, Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu, Collegium Medicum Uniwersytet Jagielloński w Krakowie

Summary
Introduction. Due to the secular trend of continual updating, biological references throughout the world are subject to change. A review of both domestic and foreign literature suggests that the nutritional status of children and adolescents needs to be updated also in terms of body composition (fat mass, lean body mass, body water).
Aim. The assessment of selected anthropometric features of schoolchildren from the Małopolska region.
Material & method. The study involved 347 pupils (154 boys and 193 girls), from the age of 7 to 16 years, mainly from rural Malopolska. Nutritional assessment was made on the basis of selected anthropometric parameters, i.e: body weight including body fat, lean body mass and body water and body height, waist circumference and hip. Body composition was determined by bioimpedance. BMI and WHtR were also calculated.
Results. The mean age of participants was 12.85±1.86 years. Most of the studied schoolchildren had a normal body mass-to-height ratio (66.8%). Overweight according to the BMI interpretation was found in 10.1% of the total (10.4% boys and 9.8% girls), obesity in 6.1% of the respondents (5.8% boys and 6.2% of girls). Body weight deficits occurred in 6.1% of the schoolchildren (7.3% of girls and 4.6% of boys). Abdominal obesity diagnosed on the basis of WHtR was found in 9.7% of the boys and 5.2% of the girls. An abnormal body composition was detected in most schoolchildren. It concerned insufficient body water content (72.3% of the subjects). Excess adipose tissue reached 16.2% of the total (12.3% of the boys and 19.2% of the girls). The mean lean body mass in the study group was 38.65±8.87 kg.
Conclusion. Most of the examined schoolchildren had a normal body mass-to-height ratio and were not at risk for abdominal obesity, but cases of underweight and overweight and obesity were noted. Numerous irregularities have been identified in the assessment of the body composition of the study group.

Key words:  nutritional status, obesity, overweight, children, abdominal obesity