[Socioeconomic status and growth in school children]

We admit that somatic growth depends on genetic and nutritional factors, and that the latter are related to social and economic status of the population. To test the hypothesis that social and economic status is associated with growth, we have carried out in Madrid a cross-sectional study among 2,983 school children aged 6 to 14 years old. It shows a consistent positive association in all age brackets between socio-economic status and growth among school girls, suggesting a need for nutrition educational programs in this population subgroup.