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Birth weight and nutritional status in school-age children from Boane city, Mozambique
Eulálio Malinga1, Carol Góis Leandro2, Fernanda Trigueiro de Almeida Araujo2
1Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Universidade Pedagógica de Maputo, Maputo, Mozambique.
Insights
Low birth weight (LBW) in Mozambican children is linked to poorer body composition indicators. However, public health interventions focusing on nutrition and activity may help mitigate these effects.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Human Growth and Development
- Public Health
Background:
- Birth weight is a key indicator of maternal nutrition and newborn health.
- Low birth weight (LBW) can have long-term implications for child development.
- Understanding the impact of LBW on body composition is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the influence of low birth weight (LBW) on the body composition of school-aged children.
- To assess anthropometric indicators in children from Boane City, Mozambique.
Main Methods:
- A total of 220 children (41 LBW, 179 normal birth weight) aged 7-10 years were studied.
- Nutritional status was analyzed using weight-for-age, height-for-age, BMI-for-age, and weight-for-height indices.
- Body composition was assessed through skinfolds, fat mass, and fat-free mass measurements.
Main Results:
- LBW children exhibited reduced skinfolds and lower weight-for-height compared to normal birth weight children.
- Birth weight was positively associated with most anthropometric variables and fat-free mass.
- Older children had higher fat mass and fat-free mass; boys had lower fat percentage and mass than girls.
Conclusions:
- Low birth weight appears to affect growth indicators in children from Boane, Mozambique.
- Environmental factors may modulate the long-term effects of LBW.
- Public policies promoting healthy nutrition and physical activity are recommended to counteract LBW effects.
Background:
Birth weight is considered an important marker of inadequate maternal nutrition, and it is a critical indicator of the newborn's health and development.
Objective:
This study evaluated the influence of low birth weight (LBW) on body composition in 7-10-year-old school children from Boane City-Mozambique.
Methods:
A total of 220 children (female = 122 and male = 98) were divided into two groups according to their birth weight (LBW, n = 41; and normal birth weight, NBW, n = 179). Anthropometric indicators of nutritional status were analyzed by the indices weight-for-age, height-for-age, BMI-for-age, and weight-for-height.
Results:
LBW children showed reduced skinfolds, and weight-for-height when compared to NBW children. Birth weight was positively associated with all anthropometric variables, except for BMI, which was not associated with any other variable. The r2 value ranged from .09 (weight-for-age) to .72 (height-for-age). For body composition variables, older children had higher fat mass (β = .26; 95% CI = 0.05-0.48) and fat-free mass (β = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.71-1.48), and boys had lower fat percentage (β = -3.49; 95% CI = -4.35 to -2.65) and fat mass (β = -.92; 95% CI = -1.31 to -0.55) than girls. Birth weight was also positively associated with fat-free mass.
Conclusion:
LBW seems to influence some growth indicators of children living in Boane, however, current environmental factors seem to weaken this association. Our results suggest that public policies involving healthy nutrition and physical activity can reverse the effects of low weight in children from Boane.
