Introduction: Nutritional status of children is influenced by diet. Better dietary diversity helps ensure adequate intake of essential nutrients especially for growing school going children. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of dietary scores and nutritional status of urban Iranian and Indian school children. Methods: The present study examined dietary diversity, weight-forage (WA) and height-forage (HA) and weightfor-height weight-forage z-scores and nutritional status of 4570 children aged 6-9 years, including 2234 Iranian (1016 boys, 1218 girls) and 2336 Indian (1240 boys, 1096 girls) attending primary schools residing in Mumbai and Ahwaz, Iran, from low and middle income categories. Dietary diversity scores were assessed based on frequency of consumption of individual food items categorized into 11 individual food groups. Results: Total dietary diversity scores were significantly higher for Indian children who had normal weight or who were overweight (F=32.197, p=0.000) and lowest for underweight children. Similar trends were observed for the children from Iran (F=9.345, p=0.000). Total food group scores increased with better height status of the children. In both countries, severely and moderately stunted children had lower total mean scores than those who had normal and above average height. Wasting was also associated with lower total mean scores. Analysis of data for individual food groups showed that increasing weight was associated with higher scores for almost all food groups in India. In Iran, mean scores for vegetables, beverages, sweets and fats increased with increasing weight. Heights for age z-scores were positively associated with a mean score for pulses in countries and dairy products, beverages and fats. Higher BMI was associated with higher scores for cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, mixed dishes, beverages, sweets and fats.

Abstract:Background: Malnutrition is a widespread problem in developing countries. Information on nutritional status of primary school children are not enough in Iran and India. The present study, made to assess prevalence of undernutrtion, stunting and wasting among urban school children in Mumbai in India and Ahwaz in Iran. Methods: Height and weight of 4570 including 2234 Iranian (1016 boys, 1218girls) and 2336 Indian (1240 boys, 1096 girls), aged 6-9 years, attending primary schools residing in Mumbai, India and Ahwaz, Iran were measured and the body mass index (BMI) calculated. The World Health Organization's (WHO) anthropometric indices of weight-for-age (WA) and height-for-age (HA) and weightfor-height were used to assess the children's nutritional status. Results: Underweight, stunting and wasting occurred in 3.2%, 1.5% and 4.1%% of Indian and 0.2%, 5.4% and 1.7% of Iranian children. WAZ mean scores of children were -0.071±1.195 for boys and -0.287±3.241 for girls in Iran and -0.238±0.823 for boys and 0.108±1.080 for girls in India. HAZ mean scores were -0.163±1.219 for boys and -0.515±3.141 for girls in Iran and -0.028±0.770 and -0.017±0.993 for girls in India. BMI mean scores were 0.044±1.081 for boys and 0.304±0.957 for girls in Iran and -0.345±0.796 for boys and -0.