The nutritional status of children at the medical for enrolment in grade school in the Bjelovar-Bilogorje County

This study gives the results of research into the nutritional status of children at the medical for enrolment in grade school in the Bjelovar-Bilogorje county. The aim of the study is to determine what circumstances, social and economic factors are linked with the physical nutritional status of children when they enrol in school. The research covered 1399 children, 752 boys and 647 girls, which is 98% of the children obliged to start school in the county. Medical history details were taken and their physical status examined. The nutritional status of the subjects was assessed by: a) the position of the body mass in percentile distribution b) calculation of the BMI (body mass index) c) determination of the position of body mass according to height in percentile distribution. The average mass of the boys was 22.9 kg and the girls 22.6 kg (both between the 25th and 50th percentile. The average BMI values for boys were 15.42 and for girls 15.40. According to percentile distribution of body mass according to height 112 (14.9%) boys and 102 (16.4%) girls were undernourished. 57 boys (7.6%) and 64 girls (9.9%) were overweight. In the girls a rise in BMI values was noticed where the parents were more highly educated. Boys from rural areas were less well nourished in comparison with boys from urban areas. Of the total number of children who attended kindergarten, according to the criteria of the percentile distribution of body mass to height, 11.8% boys and 11.7% girls were undernourished and 7.7% boys and 14.5% girls were overweight. The number of undernourished girls and boys who attended kindergartens is less and the number of overweight children is greater in comparison with those who did not attend kindergarten. In comparison with the past three years, the number of undernourished children in the Bjelovar-Bilogorje county has increased several times.