F&N Bulletin Vol 23 No 1b - United Nations University

26
R. F. Florentino et al.
TABLE 1. Mean height, weight, and BMI of schoolchildren according to age, sex, and type of school
Height (cm)
Weight (kg)
Sex and Mean Mean Mean ± SD
age (yr) School n Mean ± SD Z score Mean ± SD Z score BMI (kg/m 2 )
Male
8 Public 102 122.9 ± 6.4 –1.26 23.5 ± 5.4 –1.08 15.4 ± 2.3
Private 95 129.2 ± 8.2 –0.09 28.0 ± 6.7 0.03 16.7 ± 3.2
9 Public 105 127.1 ± 6.0 –1.35 25.1 ± 5.8 –1.20 15.4 ± 2.6
Private 94 131.6 ± 6.1 –0.54 29.9 ± 7.4 –0.21 17.1 ± 3.2
10 Public 110 129.9 ± 5.8 –1.59 26.0 ± 4.6 –1.41 15.4 ± 1.8
Private 92 135.6 ± 8.3 –0.72 33.9 ± 9.4 –0.15 18.2 ± 3.7
Female
8 Public 105 121.5 ± 6.0 –1.28 22.5 ± 4.1 –1.12 15.1 ± 1.9
Private 90 128.9 ± 8.3 –0.08 27.2 ± 5.5 –0.08 16.3 ± 2.8
9 Public 109 127.0 ± 6.8 –1.22 26.3 ± 5.9 –1.12 15.5 ± 2.2
Private 99 131.6 ± 6.3 –0.55 30.1 ± 7.4 –0.30 17.2 ± 3.2
10 Public 111 131.0 ± 6.7 –1.47 27.4 ± 5.9 –1.26 15.8 ± 2.3
Private 96 136.3 ± 7.0 –0.76 33.4 ± 8.5 –0.42 17.8 ± 3.5
Prevalence of undernutrition
The prevalence of undernutrition was assessed on the
basis of three indices: height-for-age, weight-for-age,
and BMI-for-age, using the descriptive terms, stunting
and underweight-for-age according to NCHS reference
standards, and thinness according to BMI reference
standards. The weight-for-height index was not used,
because data from 122 schoolchildren whose heights
were beyond the limits of the NCHS standards could
not be analyzed by the ANTHRO Software.
Undernutrition, particularly stunting, afflicted a
large proportion of schoolchildren in Manila especially
among those from public schools (table 2 and
fig. 1). Stunting (< –2 SD of NCHS height-for-age),
which is indicative of previous or longstanding malnutrition,
affected 26.5% of the children from public
schools and only 6.6% of those from private schools.
Whereas 18.2% of the children from public schools
were underweight-for-age (< –2 SD NCHS), only 4.3%
of the children from private schools were. Thinness
(less than the 5th percentile of Must et al. BMI table
[5]) was also common among the children from public
schools, with a prevalence rate of 18.7%, whereas
the prevalence was only 9.4% among children from
private schools. Among all age groups, the 10-yearold
public schoolchildren seemed to suffer most from
underweight, stunting, and thinness.
Boys in public schools appeared to be at greater risk
of suffering from the different forms of undernutrition
than girls. A higher prevalence was observed among the
boys for the three indicators. However, the differences
between the sexes were not as apparent among private
schoolchildren. In fact, in public schools thinness was
more prevalent among girls than among boys.
Prevalence of overnutrition
With the use of BMI cutoffs of the 85th and 95th
percentile, the prevalence of risk of overweight among
private schoolchildren was much higher than that
among public schoolchildren (table 2 and fig. 1). Thus,
as much as 24.9% of private schoolchildren of both
sexes had BMI-for-age at or above the 85th percentile,
compared with only 5.8% of public schoolchildren.
Likewise, the prevalence of overweight (BMI at or
above the 95th percentile) among private schoolchildren
was almost four times higher than among
public schoolchildren. There was a generally decreasing
trend of overweight with age from 8 to 10 years
among public schoolchildren, but not among private
schoolchildren. The difference between the sexes was
not very clear. A higher prevalence of those with a
BMI at or above the 85th percentile was seen among
30
25
20
% 15
10
5
0
Stunting
Public school
Thinness
BMI
Private school
At risk of
overweight
Underweight
Overweight
FIG. 1. Prevalence of under- and overnutrition among
schoolchildren according to type of school