Comparison of nutritional status of school children from indigenous and non indigenous ancestry

Background: The few studies in Chile assessing the nutritional status of in digenous children show a high prevalence of stunting, excess weight and fee ding problems. Aim: To compare anthropometric indices in children from indi genous and non indigenous ancestry. Subjects and methods: school children a ged 6 to 8 years old, living in locations with three clear cut levels of so cial vulnerability were studied. Children were considered indigenous if the ir last names, as well as those of their parents were of Mapuche origin. No n indigenous were those whose last names were of Spanish origin. Results: f our hundred and fifty indigenous and 684 non indigenous children were studi ed. Results: four hundred and fifty indigenous and 684 non indigenous child ren were studied. indigenous children from high vulnerability communities w ere approximately 0.5 z score shorter than those of non indigenous origin. Heights of indigenous and non indigenous children were similar in communiti es with intermediate and low social vulnerability. The proportion of the lo wer segment followed the same trend. Weight/height ratios were higher among indigenous children in the three vulnerability levels. Among indigenous ch ildren coming from areas of low vulnerability arm circumference was 1 cm br oader than that of their non indigenous counterparts. Conclusions: stunting is prevalent among school children from areas of high socioeconomic vulner ability, mainly rural, and independent from ethnicity. Among indigenous sch ool children overweight and a broader arm circumference are frequent. These results urgently call for located and specific nutrition interventions.