Nutritional status of Kumaiti elementary school children aged 6-10 years: comparison with the NCHS/CDC reference population

The objective of this cross-sectional sampling survey was to assess the nut ritional status of Kuwaiti elementary school children aged 6-10 years in co mparison with the NCHS/CDC American reference population. The study compris ed a multistage stratified random sample of 8957 children (4401 males and 4 556 females) which amounts to about 12% of the target population. Weights a nd heights of children were measured, Obesity was defined as weight-for-hei ght (W/H) 2.00 to 5.00 standard deviation (SD) scores of the reference popu lation. Underweight and short stature were defined as weight-for-height (W/ H) and height-for-age (H/A) -4.00 to -2.00 and -5.00 to -2.00 SD scores, re spectively. The results of this study showed that obesity was found to be s ignificantly (P < 0.01) higher in males (15.7%) than in females (13.8%). Un derweight was found to be almost equally prevalent among both genders (3.7% in males and 3.8% in females). Short stature (H/A) -5.00 to -2.00 SD score s) was found to be 7.1% (9.5% in males and 4.6% in females). When compared with an earlier study, changes in W/H were significant across most of the c entile categories. However, significant changes in H/A were noted with less frequency than W/H; mostly in the upper centiles for both genders. More si gnificant changes, however, were noted among males than females. In conclus ion, Kuwaiti children were found to be heavier and shorter than American ch ildren. Moreover, the children were found to be fatter and slightly taller but nonetheless more nutritionally sound than a decade earlier.