An assessment of the nutritional status of preschool children in Western Papua New Guinea, 1978 to 1986.

This paper reports the results of a cross-sectional survey of nutrition in children 0-5 years old carried out in Balimo District of southern Western Province, Papua New Guinea, between December 1985 and February 1986, and compares the level of undernutrition found in this survey with previous levels. The purpose of this comparison was to determine the effect of the National Food and Nutrition Policy introduced in 1978 and, more specifically, the Balimo Nutrition Education Program introduced in 1980. The major findings are that there has been a marked reduction in the level of undernutrition in children 0-5 years old, as determined by weight for age. In 1978, 44.6% of children were less than 80% of the standard, whereas in 1986 the corresponding figure was 22.3%. The level of undernutrition in the 0-12 month old age group was significantly lower than that of all other age groups, which correlates with the period of breastfeeding. The increase of undernutrition after this age can be partly accounted for by an inadequate weaning diet, an area in which further education is required. The level of attendance at maternal and child health clinics has not altered significantly between 1982 and 1986, being still only 45% of children enrolled in the clinics. This needs to be improved if possible by the local health centres.