NUTRITION AND LEARNING IN CHILEAN SCHOOL-AGE-CHILDREN - CHILE METROPOLITAN REGION SURVEY 1986-1987

The objective of this study was to determine the interrelationship bet ween the scholastic achievement (SA) test and nutritional status of a representative sample of 4,509 elementary and high school children fro m Chile's Metropolitan Region. Percentages of weight/age (W/A), height /age (H/A), and weight/height (W/H) were compared to WHO (World Health Organization) Tables, head circumference/age (HC/A) to the Tanner Tab les, and brachial anthropometry to Frisancho's norms. Socioeconomic st atus (SES) was measured by means of Graffar's Modified Method; SA by m eans of a language and mathematics test. Statistical analysis included correlation, regression, and WHO risk-approach methodology. Results s howed that HC/A was the anthropometric parameter with the greatest exp lanatory power in SA variance and was significantly greater in high sc hool graduates who were 17 y old (r = 0.350; p < 0.001; r(2) = 0.122) than in elementary school children, who were 6 y old (r = 0.227; p < 0 .001; r(2) = 0.049), with a relative risk of 2.1 and 1.5, respectively . The explanatory power of W/A and H/A in SA variance was significantl y decreased, and no significant differences were observed among high s chool students. These findings confirm that HC/A is the most important anthropometric parameter associated with SA. Educational selectivity apparently relates to HC/A, and not to W/A or H/A. These results may b e useful in planning nutritional and educational policies.