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  • Title: Nutritional status of preschool children in poor rural areas of China.
    Author: Chang Y, Zhai F, Li W, Ge K, Jin D, de Onis M.
    Journal: Bull World Health Organ; 1994; 72(1):105-12. PubMed ID: 8131245.
    Abstract:
    Described are the main findings of the first large-scale nutrition monitoring project carried out over a 4-year period in China. The nutritional status of nearly 10,000 preschool children in 18 comparatively poor rural areas in seven provinces was followed each year over the period 1986-89 in order to identify their major nutritional problems and improve their growth and development. Physical measurements were made and dietary surveys and biochemical tests were performed on a subsample of the children. The proportion of stunted and underweight children was far higher than the national average. Based on the possibilities offered by local circumstances, the prevalences of stunting and underweight were lowered and anaemia was greatly reduced. Along with the progress in nutrition monitoring, major efforts were made to train health workers, as well as to encourage increased production of green vegetables, poultry, and small livestock. The wealth of information collected and the experience gained may serve as a baseline record, the project currently being expanded to cover 100 counties throughout China. In China between 1986 and 1989, the Institute of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, through epidemic prevention stations in 7 provinces, conducted a large scale nutrition monitoring project in 18 poor, rural areas of almost 10,000 children less than 6 years old. Researchers aimed to lean the main nutritional problems and to improve child growth and development. To provinces included Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, and Sichuan. The interventions were: nutrition training of 11,000 field workers, control projects for anemia in children, promotion of home gardening and animal raising, nutrition promotion via the mass media, health education, and township committees to oversee nutrition activities. Many children (41.8-44.3% and 24.4- 28.8%, respectively) were shorter and weighed less than the international reference population. In fact, the proportion of short and low weight children was greater than the national averages for China (32% and 21.3%, respectively). Yet, acute malnutrition (wasting) was rare (3%) and fell within the range expected for the reference population. Stunting increased steeply in the first year of life and then held steady in the 40-50% range thereafter, indicating the significance of proper nutrition during infancy and that growth failure after the first year is basically irreversible. The prevalence of wasting fell 50% among 1-year-olds between 1986 and 1989 (6.7-3.5%). Stunting became more uncommon also throughout the study period. Anemia ( 11 g/dl hemoglobin) was common in the study population, especially in 6-12 month old infants (51.62-3%). The iron-poor diet may have contributed to the high prevalence of anemia. Its prevalence fell consistently during the study period (p .01), suggesting that integration of health education/promotion with fortified drugs and iron supplements had a positive effect on prevention and treatment of anemia. Dietary survey findings showed a need to receive enough appropriate weaning foods (e.g., eggs, milk, soya beans) immediately upon reaching 6 months.
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