Erken Yaşlardaki Yetersiz ve Dengesiz Beslenmenin Davranış ve Gelişim Üzerine Etkisi

Abstract

This research was conducted in an area of the Kayseri province covering the country of Tomarza and six of its villages. Data are comprised of the height and vveight, health conditions, mental development, familial structures and habits of 177 children out of a group of 260 who in 1968 had been subjected to a research on nutrition. İn 1974, 68.08 % of the 260 children observed in 1968 were stili living in their respective villages, 28 % had migrated to urban centers and 3.84 % were reported as dead. The total of 177 children were divided into two main groups. The first of vvhich comprised the children who had identified as malnourıshed in 1968. They were further divided in to three subgroups with respect to vvhether their health conditions are vvorstened, improred or remained the same since 1968. The second group of children were the ones who were identified as phsically normal in 1968 and in 1974. Although the 177 children (vvithin the age group of 6-12 in 1974) were of normal height, with respect to vveight, 20.9 % of them were observed to be belovv the standards for Turkish Children. VVithin period of six years 66.36 % of the children of the first group shovved an improvement in health conditions, 24.54 of them showed. no change in degree of malnutrition and 9.9 % were vvorse than before. Futher more incidence of various synptoms of malnutrition (such as vacularization around cornea, angular lesion, 0 and X legs and dryness of skin) and akute infections the respiratory system and low hemoglobine values were much higher among the malnutrished groupı, The total group of 177 children were subjected to the Abstract Comprehension Test (perfected through various tests conducted in the villages of The Ankara province) to evaluate their mental development. The results of the test shovved that the score of the malnourished group was significantiy less than of physically normal group. Result of'this study shovved that malnutrition betvveen the ages 0 - 6 produces adverse effect on the mental development of children, Although an improvement of physicai conditions may be achieved’ through the better nutrition, mental development was not shown a significant improvement.