Weight and height for age status of children aged 2-6 years old in southern part of Iran: a cross-sectional study Download PDF

Background: there is an increased risk of mortality and impaired cognitive development for malnourished children. Investigating the poor growth rate of children is crucial. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of short stature and low weight for age in children aged 2-6 years old. Method: In a cross-sectional study 450 children aged 24-72 months old were selected by a multistage cluster sampling method that were monitored for their growth status by 9 health centers in Bandarabbas. The anthropometric indicators were compared with the world health organization growth charts. The tenth percentile was used as a cutoff for weight and height for age. Findings: There were not any significant difference in the prevalence of short stature and low weight for age between girls and boys. More than 30% of children had low weight and height for age. Maternal anthropometric measures were related to children birth measures: Maternal height was correlated with birth height (r=0.126, p<0.05) and birth weight (r=0.11, p<0.01) after controlling for LBW. Conclusion: Growth rate less than 10 th percentile were prevalent in this study. Education of parents and interventional studies about complementary nutrition are needed to improve the growth rate of children.