Frequency of malnutrition in a group of female students for 12 to 20 years of age
Ramos Rodríguez, R.M.
Boletin Medico del Hospital Infantil de Mexico 36(2): 287-298
1979
ISSN/ISBN: 0539-6115 PMID: 758198 Document Number: 152899
A study on the state of nutrition was caried out in a group of 882 female students 12 to 20 years old attending public schools in Mexico City. Five somatometric variables were considered: weight and height in relation to age; weight in relation to height; perimeters of arm and leg. According to the weight in terms of age, 46% of cases fell within limits of normality (M +/- 1 D.S. of mentioned patterns); according to the perimeter of leg, this took place in 49% of the total and according to the perimeter of the arm, in 36%. Weight in relation to height was normal in 53% of cases and height in relation to age, in 62%. Frequency of subnormal cases was 47% for weight/age; 41% for perimeter of leg; 56% for perimeter of arm; 28% for weight/height and 33% for height/age. That of cases above M + 1 D.S. was, respectively of 7, 10, 7, 19 and 5% of the whole. Cases with overweight in relation to height, became more frequent as age increased, coincidentally also with greater frequency of cases with deficient perimeter of leg. According to perimeter of leg, 13% of these girl students might he considered affected of second degree malnutrition, this situation prevailed from 13 to 18 years of age, but was not true in the 12--year--old group. Out of all variables studied, perimeter of the leg was considered the most useful index to determine the state of nutrition. Weight in relation to height was used to judge the degree of adaptation (homeorrhesis). However, it is apparently more adequate to make an interpretation of the information obtained from the integration of the five variables considered.