Effects of Economic Status and Education Level on the Height and Weight of Community Adolescents in Nepal

Abstract

SummaryThere is scarce information on the relative importance of socio-economic fac tors in determining the adolescent anthropometric measurements. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of economic status, education level, and food consumption on the height and weight of community adolescents in Nepal. The study was done in the communities of the Kathmandu Valley area in Nepal. All together 426 unmarried adoles cent girls aged 14-19y were selected, The adolescents were interviewed regarding socio economic background (education, occupation and property possessions) and frequency of foods consumption. Height and weight were determined and BMI was calculated. Z-scores of height-for-age and weight-for-age were calculated based on the WHO/NCHS standard to avoid bias by age. The adolescents participating in the survey were categorized into three groups using the various indicators of economic status: Low Economic Status (LES) group, Middle Economic Status (MES) group and High Economic Status (HES) group. The Z-scores of height and weight were significantly lower in the LES group than in the MES and HES groups (p<0.05). The Z-score of height was significantly increased with education level even under the condition of controlling economic level (p<0.05). Since the frequency of milk consumption was significantly related not only with height (p<0.05), but also with economic (X2=31.6, df=4, p<0.001) and education levels (X2=22.4, df=6, p<0.01), the increased height in the groups of the better economic status or the better education level was interpreted to be due to the outcome of the higher frequency of milk consumption. This study indicated that education was a more important factor affecting the height of the ado lescents via improved food habits even under adverse economic conditions.

Socio‐cultural and economic determinants and consequences of adolescent undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in LLMICs: a systematic narrative review

“…One study showed that per capita food expenditure was positively associated with all nutritional status indexes . Likewise, SES, defined by a wide variety of indicators, was in 15 cases negatively associated with undernutrition or positively with nutritional status indexes . Household resources, including land holdings, possession of cattle, the number of living rooms, rented versus owned home, and housing type were negatively associated with undernutrition indicators or, to a lesser extent, positively with HA and WHZ .…”

“…86 Likewise, SES, defined by a wide variety of indicators, was in 15 cases negatively associated with undernutrition or positively with nutritional status indexes. 42,47,48,62,64,68,73,79,81,82,90 Household resources, including land holdings, possession of cattle, the number of living rooms, rented versus owned home, and housing type were negatively associated with undernutrition indicators 43,48,51,58,66,74 or, to a lesser extent, positively with HA and WHZ. 48,60 The lack of latrines (leading to open air defecation) and having a hand pump (instead of running water) were associated with BAZ.…”

“…School attendance and enrollment, educational and literacy levels were in general negatively associated with stunting, underweight, and thinness 44,70,71,[76][77][78][79] and positively with HA, WA, and WHZ. 44,73,77,[80][81][82][83] One Tanzanian study, however, found that school nonenrollment was associated with increased thinness explaining this by the fact that parents often perceived thin adolescents as physically not being ready to attend school. 56 Household level.…”

Acceptability and Compliance to a 10-Day Regimen of Zinc Treatment in Diarrhea in Rural Bangladesh

“…According to WHO growth standards, children were considered malnourished (without pedal oedema) if one of the following statistical conditions were met [20,21]: Underweight: <−2 weight-for-age z-score. Wasting: <−2 weight-for-height z-score.…”

Estado nutricional de niños palúdicos residentes en El Bagre y Turbo, Antioquia, Colombia, 2004-2005

“…Uno de los indicadores que mejor refleja las condiciones sociales y económicas de una población o un país es el crecimiento en talla (37,38). De hecho, el indicador talla para la edad se relacionó con disponibilidad de agua de acueducto y servicio sanitario, lo mismo que con el tamaño de la familia y el número de personas que duermen en la casa, mientras que el indicador peso para la talla no se relacionó con la disponibilidad de servicios sanitarios, pero sí con el tamaño de la familia y con los indicadores de hacinamiento.…”