ASSESSMENT OF THE NUTRITIONAL STATUS AMONG STUDENTS AT PHUNG THUONG JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, PHUC THO DISTRICT, HANOI

Abstract

Percentage of body fat by age and sex is widely used to assess nutritional status in both children and adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 312 students at Phung Thuong junior high school, Phuc Tho district, Hanoi to assess the nutritional status by gender at each age. The results of the study are the basis for making recommendations on dietary intake for children. The body composition indexes of the students were measured using the bioelectrical impedance method. The nutritional status of children was assessed through the threshold classification of body fat percentage by age and sex based on the percentile according to the standards of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The results showed that the rate of underweight among students at Phung Thuong Secondary School was still high (10.3%) while the rate of overweight and obesity was up to 16.5%. By gender, the rate of underweight tended to be higher in boys than those in girls. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in girls tended to increase with age. The prevalence of underweight was highest in the 14-year-old age group. At the age of 11-12, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in boys was more than twice as high as those in girls. Therefore, in each sex, it is necessary to build a suitable diet for each age group.