Determinants of Nutritional Status of Preschool Children in Rural Areas in Gharbia Governorate

Abstract

Nutritional status of preschool children in rural areas depends on various factors that affect positively or negatively the nutritional status of preschool children. This study was carried out in two villages of Gharbia Govemortae and was conducted from February 1997 to July in the same year. The study sample consisted of all preschoolers whose mothers agreed to participate in the study. A total sample of813 children from whom data was collected using a predesigned questionnaire through house to house survey. The questionnaire included questions related to socioeconomic status, environmental data, parental data and child related data as age, sex, birth order, feeding practices and morbidities during the two weeks preceeding the study. . The anthropometric measures as height per em, weight per kgm and mid-upper arm circumference were taken from each preschooler to assess the nutritional status. The anthropometric indices that were used are height for age below -2 standard deviation (SD) to detect stunting, weight for height below -2SD to detect wasting and weight for age below 2SD for detection of underweight. Stool analysis for detection of parasites was performed on subsample of the studied preschool children (73 children).