OBJECTIVETo explore the health status and related influencing factors for 3-year-old children in rural area of Anhui province.

METHODSClustered random sampling method was used to investigate the general situation of the children and their families as well as to measure height, weight and some other indexes of the children. Health status and its influencing factors were then evaluated.

RESULTSA total number of 418 children were investigated and incidence rates of growth retardation, underweight, overweight, emaciation and obesity appeared to be 4.3%, 1.9%, 0.7%, 0.5% and 14.9% respectively. Z value of development index was high among children with the following situations: heavy birth weight, father was tall, being boys, and having habits as washing hands before meals. However, Z value was low among kids with following characteristics: being the youngest among all the siblings, family income was high, mothers were illiterate as well as taking tocolytic agent and exposure to X-rays during pregnancy, delivered at home, major care taker was mother, mixed feeding in the early 4-month-old, age of supplementary food was less than 3 months, being picky on foods and taking snacks frequently etc.

CONCLUSIONHealth status of the 3-year-old children in rural area of Anhui province was fine in general, however, more attentionn needs to be paid to pregnant women and child health care takers in the rural areas.