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

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Soekirman et al.
TABLE 2. Z score and prevalence of nutritional status according to sex, age and type of school, based on
weight-for-age (WA) indicator
Mean ± SD
Nutritional status (%)
Sex and age (yr) School n WA Z score < –2 SD Normal > 2 SD
Male
8 Public 162 –0.7413 ± 1.3258 15.43 80.86 3.70
Private 73 0.1885 ± 1.8307 9.59 80.82 9.59
Both types 235 –0.4525 ± 1.5578 13.62 80.85 5.53
9 Public 152 –0.9142 ± 1.1451 11.18 86.18 2.63
Private 75 0.3170 ± 1.8764 8.00 73.33 18.67
Both types 227 –0.5074 ± 1.5381 10.13 81.94 7.93
10 Public 159 –1.1456 ± 0.9384 18.24 81.13 0.63
Private 66 0.2079 ± 1.8566 7.58 75.76 16.67
Both types 225 –0.7486 ± 1.4152 15.11 79.56 5.33
All ages Public 473 –0.9328 ± 1.1584 15.01 82.66 2.33
Private 214 0.2395 ± 1.8470 8.41 76.64 14.95
Both types 687 –0.5676 ± 1.5092 12.95 80.79 6.26
Female
8 Public 164 –0.5611 ± 1.1270 4.27 92.68 3.05
Private 76 –0.0132 ± 1.5643 5.26 81.58 13.16
Both types 240 –0.3876 ± 1.3036 4.58 89.17 6.25
9 Public 159 –1.0541 ± 0.8281 13.21 86.79 0.00
Private 75 –0.3887 ± 1.1966 8.00 89.33 2.67
Both types 234 –0.8408 ± 1.0082 11.54 87.61 0.85
10 Public 135 –0.9402 ± 0.9659 7.41 91.85 0.74
Private 71 –0.1253 ± 1.2126 2.82 92.96 4.23
Both types 206 –0.6594 ± 1.1237 5.83 92.23 1.94
All ages Public 458 –0.8440 ± 1.0052 8.30 90.39 1.31
Private 222 –0.1759 ± 1.3420 5.41 87.84 6.76
Both types 680 –0.6259 ± 1.1681 7.35 89.56 3.09
situation based on weight-for-age, the pattern of overweight
based on weight-for-height was not consistent
across ages.
Mean BMI and prevalence of thinness and
overweight
Table 5 presents the mean values of BMI according
to sex, age, and type of school. In general, the mean
value of BMI was higher among both boys and girls
in private schools than among those in public schools,
particularly for the older ages (9–10 years). In general,
the prevalence of thinness (below the 5th percentile)
among boys was higher in public schools than in
private schools (27.48% for public schools and 16.36%
for private schools), whereas among girls there was
only a slight difference (18.78% for public schools and
16.22% for private schools). This finding was similar
for each age group.
On the other hand, the prevalence of risk of obesity
(≥ 85th percentile) was clearly higher among children
in private schools than that among those in public
schools. The risk of obesity was 32.74% for boys in
private schools and 10.99% for those in public schools.
For girls the prevalence of obesity was 21.17% for
those in private schools and 12.45% for those in public
schools. These findings were similar in all age groups
for both boys and girls.
Discussion and conclusions
Nutritional status
In general, the nutritional status of urban schoolchildren
aged 8 to 10 years in Bogor and Jakarta was
better than that of children under 5 years of age.
The prevalence of underweight was 7.4% in girls and
12.95% in boys, whereas in 1998 the prevalence of
underweight among children under 5 years of age
was 29.7%. Meanwhile, the prevalence of overweight
(BMI ≥ 85th percentile) ranged from 15.3% in girls to
17.8% in boys. There were more overweight children
in private schools than in public schools. The nutritional
status of private schoolchildren, both in Jakarta
and Bogor, was better than that of children in public