Ulukanligil M, Seyrek A
Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Harran University, Sanliurfa 63100, Turkey.
Public Health. 2004 Mar;118(2):151-8. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2003.06.003.
A cross-sectional population-based survey was undertaken to evaluate the relationship between nutritional status and parasitic infections of schoolchildren and demographic, socio-economic factors in Sanliurfa province, southern Turkey. Nine hundred and eight schoolchildren took part in the survey: 57.2% boys and 42.7% girls. The children's mean z scores were as follows: height for age-0.8 (+/-1.0) and weight for age-1.0 (+/-0.9). The mean haemoglobin concentration was 123 g/l (+/-2.1) and the prevalence of parasitic infections was 55.1%. In total, 50.2% of children were hungry when they arrived at school and 13.4% worked after school. Over 70% (70.4%) of mothers and 18.1% of fathers were illiterate, 16.1% of fathers were unemployed and 46.3% of fathers were engaged in low-income labour. The mean number of children in each family was 5.4 (+/-2.5), and the mean number of children from each family who attended school was 2.1 (+/-1.1). The school-attendance ratio was 0.4 (+/-1.0). Data indicated that older children had significantly lower mean z scores of height (P < 0.0001) and weight for age (P < 0.0001) than younger children, and boys had significantly lower mean z scores of height for age than girls (P < 0.0001). Children living in shantytown areas had significantly lower mean z scores of height for age (P < 0.0001) and weight for age (P < 0.0001), lower mean haemoglobin concentrations (P : 0.003)and a worse parasitic infection status (P < 0.0001) than those living in apartment areas. Children who were hungry when they arrived at school had significantly lower mean haemoglobin concentrations than those who had eaten (P : 0.04). Multiple regression analyses indicated that mean z scores of height for age were significantly related to maternal (multiple R = 0.183; P < 0.0001) and paternal illiteracy (multiple R = 0.216; P : 0.004). Mean z scores of weight for age were significantly related to maternal illiteracy (multiple R = 0.154; P < 0.0001), as was parasitic infection status (multiple R = 0.261; P < 0.0001 ) and the number of children in the family (multiple R = 0.267; P : 0.005). Hunger status was significantly related to maternal (multiple R = 0.095; P : 0.016) and paternal illiteracy (multiple R = 0.104; P : 0.005), as was belonging to a large family (multiple R = 0.104; p: 0.009). These findings indicate that school health programmes may improve the nutritional and health status of schoolchildren. The participation of the local community, which such a programme would entail, may help to increase maternal awareness regarding the feeding of their children before sending them to school. School health programmes may also motivate parents to send their daughters to school, thus increasing maternal literacy in the future. In turn, better levels of maternal literacy will positively affect the socio-economic development of society.
在土耳其南部的桑尼乌法省开展了一项基于人群的横断面调查，以评估学龄儿童营养状况与寄生虫感染之间的关系，以及人口统计学和社会经济因素。908名学龄儿童参与了此次调查，其中男孩占57.2%，女孩占42.7%。儿童的平均z分数如下：年龄别身高为-0.8（±1.0），年龄别体重为-1.0（±0.9）。平均血红蛋白浓度为123 g/l（±2.1），寄生虫感染患病率为55.1%。总共有50.2%的儿童上学时饿着肚子，13.4%的儿童放学后还要干活。超过70%（70.4%）的母亲和18.1%的父亲是文盲，16.1%的父亲失业，46.3%的父亲从事低收入工作。每个家庭孩子的平均数量为5.4（±2.5），每个家庭上学孩子的平均数量为2.1（±1.1）。入学率为0.4（±1.0）。数据表明，年龄较大的儿童年龄别身高（P<0.0001）和年龄别体重（P<0.0001）的平均z分数显著低于年龄较小的儿童，男孩年龄别身高的平均z分数显著低于女孩（P<0.0001）。与居住在公寓区的儿童相比，居住在棚户区的儿童年龄别身高（P<0.00所01）和年龄别体重（P<0.0001）的平均z分数显著更低，平均血红蛋白浓度更低（P=0.003），寄生虫感染状况更差（P<0.0001）。上学时饿着肚子的儿童平均血红蛋白浓度显著低于吃过东西的儿童（P=0.04）。多元回归分析表明，年龄别身高的平均z分数与母亲文盲程度（复相关系数R=0.183；P<0.0001）和父亲文盲程度（复相关系数R=0.216；P=0.004）显著相关。年龄别体重的平均z分数与母亲文盲程度（复相关系数R=0.154；P<0.0001）、寄生虫感染状况（复相关系数R=0.261；P<0.0001）以及家庭孩子数量（复相关系数R=0.267；P=0.所005）显著相关。饥饿状况与母亲文盲程度（复相关系数R=0.095；P=0.016）和父亲文盲程度（复相关系数R=0.104；P=0.005）显著相关，与家庭规模较大（复相关系数R=0.104；P=0.009）也显著相关。这些发现表明，学校健康计划可能会改善学龄儿童的营养和健康状况。这样一个计划需要当地社区的参与，这可能有助于提高母亲在送孩子上学前对孩子喂养问题的认识。学校健康计划还可能激励父母送女儿上学，从而在未来提高母亲的识字率。反过来，更高水平的母亲识字率将对社会的社会经济发展产生积极影响。
