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[Differences in magnitude of nutritional status in Chilean school children according to CDC and WHO 2005-2008
Fabián Vásquez1, Ricardo Cerda Rioseco, Margarita Andrade
1Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile,
Introduction:
Further discussions are needed regarding the magnitude of nutritional problems diagnosed using CDC or WHO, against the existence of new biological or statistical definitions of obesity.
Objective:
To compare the evolution of the prevalence of nutritional status among schoolchildren in first grade, from 2005 to 2008, according to CDC and WHO.
Methods:
Retrospective cohort study, of 140.265 students of both sexes of first grade, evaluated from 2005- 2008, whose anthropometric data (weight and height), were obtained from annual registration system of school nutrition. To classify the nutritional status of children, CDC and WHO patterns were used.
Results:
The mean BMI was slightly different and lower in girls than in boys, in 2005 and 2006. During 2007 and 2008 the average BMI in girls reached the observed in males. There was a higher prevalence of underweight according to WHO (p=0,03), with a tendency to decrease in the subsequent years. The prevalence of normality was greater according to the CDC criteria, with a reduction between 2005 and 2007 and an increase in 2008 (P < 0,001). There was a lower prevalence of overweight according to CDC criteria (P < 0,001), with an increase between 2005 and 2007, both CDC and WHO. The prevalence of obesity was lower according to the WHO criteria, and there were not statistically significant differences when comparing the CDC pattern.
Conclusions:
By comparing both patterns, CDC tends to overestimate the normal and underestimate the overweight, while obesity was not significant differences.
