Evaluatıon Of Growth And Development Status Of Turkısh School Age Children Vvıth Reference To The Nchs Populatıon

Abstract

Growth and development statuses of 960 school children, aged betvveen 7 and 17y and in apparent good health, selected on a system of random sampling from both urban and rural schools in the Marmara, Central Anatolian and East Anatolian regions of Turkey were assessed. Anthropometric measurements (weight, height, arm circumference and triceps skinfold thickness) taken from the children were evaluated using the National Çenter for Health Statistics (NCHS) standards. A questionnaire was completed for each child comprising information on the child’s sodoeconomic status indicators. This data was evaluated to determine the effect of socio-economic status on growth and development. Comparison of the mean vveight and height measurements of the children for each age group with those of the NCHS population revealed that the percentage of male children under the 50th percentile of the NCHS standards ranged between 40 and 60 for weight and 53 and 72 for height. Percentage of female children belovv the 50th percentile were between 20 and 60 for weight and 50 and 71 for height. The means for arm circumferences and triceps skinfold thicknesses vvere below the NCHS standards. Hovvever weight for height means in ali sex and age groups vvere found to be above the 50th percentile. Socio-economic conditions were found to be positively and significantly associated with ali the nutritional status indicators studied.