Abstract
This study was conducted to investigate nutritional status by anthropometric meas-urement and to assess the validity of indicators for nutritional status of preschool children. Health examinations, including blood and urine tests, were done for 799 childern aged 2 to 6 years. The mean anthropometric measurements of height, weight , head circumference, and chest circumference were 90.2cm, 13.9kg, 47.7cm, 50.9cm for 2 years (n=13), 94.8cm, 15.2kg, 43.3cm, 47.0cm for 3 years(n=125), 100.7cm, 16.4kg, 46.2cm, 50.5cm for 4 years(n=272), 106.5cm, 18.1kg, 48.8cm, 53.8cm for 5 years(n=253), 113.0cm 20.4kg, 50.4cm 56.9cm for 6 years(n=136), respectively. All anthropometric measureemnts were significantly different by age and sex. The results of physical examinations excluding dental examination were normal for all studied children. Urine test results were also normal for the subjects. The most common blood type was A and the rarest one was type AB. The mean hemoglobin concentration was 11.84g/dl for boys(n=398), 11.86g/dl for girls, and 11.85kg/dl for all. The percentage of childeren whose hemoglobin concentration was less than 11.0g/dl was 21.6% for boys and 18.9% for girls. The percentage of children whose height for age, weight for age, and weight for height were in the rang of median $\pm$1 standard devication(S.D) was 71.7% , 65.6%, and 67.0% for each indicator. Obese childeren whose weight for height or weigth for age was more than median +2S.D. were 5.2% while tall children whose height for age was more than median +2S.D, were 1.8% . Past and recent nutritional status of most children(87.2%) were assessed as normal by the combination of three indicators(height for age, weight for age, weight for height). The percentate of coincidence between for height) and one assessed by anthropometric measurements (height for age, weight for age, weight for height) and one assessed by physicial was 59.6%, 69.3% and 67.8% for each indicator, respectively. The distribution of subjects by height for age was significantly different between normal and anemic groups. With these results , the nutritional status of children the studied was normal. The anthropometric measurements reflected the nutritional status of childeren relatively well. In conclusion, in comparison with biochemical meausurements anthropometric measurements are relatively simple and effective indicators for nutritional assessement of children in large health and nutrition suveys in Korea.
