[Epidemic status and secular trends of malnutrition among children and adolescents aged 7-18 years from 2005 to 2014 in China].

OBJECTIVE

To understand and analyze the current situation and secular trends for prevalence of malnutrition among Chinese children and adolescents aged 7-18 years from 2005 to 2014, and to provide important scientific basis for students' nutrition improvement.

METHODS

All the subjects aged 7-18 years in both sexes were sampled from 2005, 2010 and 2014 Chinese National Surveys on Students Constitution and Health. According to the new students' health standard of "Screening Standard for Malnutrition of school-age children and adolescents"(WS/T456-2014) in 2014 of China, the nutritional status of children in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities, excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan province) were analyzed and compared in different ages, genders, regions and provinces from 2005 to 2014. The Tibetan students was used with the data of Tibetan minority and all the other students from 30 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) were Han minority.

RESULTS

The prevalence of malnutrition of children and adolescents of Han minority aged 7-18 years in 2014 was 10.0%. The prevalence of malnutrition components, including stunting, mild wasting and moderate severe wasting, were 0.8%, 3.7%, and 5.5%. Compared with 2005 and 2010, the prevalence of malnutrition of Han children and adolescents in 2014 had declined with 5.0 and 2.6 percentage points, respectively, and its components had declined with 1.0, 1.8, 2.2 and 0.4, 1.1, 1.2 percentage points, respectively. The prevalence of malnutrition of 2014 in boys was higher than in girls (11.1% vs.8.9%), the rural was higher than the urban (11.0% vs.9.1%) and the west (11.7%) was higher than the east (9.0%) and the middle (9.2%). Mild wasting of Chinese children and adolescents aged 7-18 years was the main component in malnutrition and the stunting in the Han and Tibetan children and adolescents only accounted for 8.0% and 7.5%, respectively. Compared with 2005 and 2010, the prevalence of malnutrition for Chinese children and adolescents aged 7-18 years in 2014 had declined with various extents constantly, and there was a statistically significant difference among three surveys (P<0.05). Provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) with high prevalence of malnutrition mainly concentrated in the southwest of China from 2005 to 2014. Compared with 2005 and 2010, the prevalence of malnutrition declined in 31 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) of China in 2014. The number of provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) with high prevalence of malnutrition decreased constantly and increased for the number of province (autonomous regions, municipalities) with low prevalence.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of malnutrition among Chinese children and adolescents aged 7-18 years had declined from 2005 to 2014, but the total prevalence of malnutrition was still high. Mild wasting was the main component in malnutrition and the prevalence of stunting was low. Provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities) with high prevalence of malnutrition mainly concentrated in the southwest of China.