Malnutrition is not a simple disease, which occurs in the condition when the body does not get the right amount of nutrients to maintain healthy tissues and organ functions. Malnutrition generally refers both to undernutrition and overnutrition, but usually it is used to refer solely to a deficiency of nutrition. Infants and young children are the most vulnerable because of their high nutritional requirements for growth and development. Growth is an important indicator of health and nutritional status of a child. Generally, underweight, studding and wasting are used as the indicators of malnutrition. In fact, a gain in height is a better indicator of the adequacy of a diet than a gain in weight. Rates of weight gain needs to accompany accelerated height gain to maintain normal body proportions (weight-for-height). Now therefore WHO recommends using weight-for-height as the indicator of malnutrition of epidemic intensity in communities and of nutritional condition evaluation, including treatment assessment. The assessment of nutritional status is commonly summarized by the mnemonic "ABCD," which stands for anthropometric measurement (A), biochemical or laboratory tests (B), clinical indicators (C) and dietary assessment (D). Children with malnutrition are required to ingest more than 30 essential nutrients including both functional, protective nutrients (type I) and growth nutrients (type II), in order to have a catch-up growth in weight and height.
Child ; Child Nutrition Disorders ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Humans ; Nutritional Status

OBJECTIVETo investigate the nutritional status of school-age children in rural area in Hunan, China from 2012 to 2015 and to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Nutrition Improvement Program for Compulsory Education Students in Rural Area" (hereinafter referred to as "Nutrition Improvement Program").

METHODSThe nutritional status of school-age children aged 6-14 years was evaluated after the implementation of the "Nutrition Improvement Program" and the changing trend of the children's nutritional status was analyzed. The statistical analysis was performed on the monitoring data of the school-age children aged 6-14 years in rural area in Hunan, China from 2012 to 2015, which came from "The Nutrition and Health Status Monitoring and Evaluation System of Nutrition Improvement Program for Compulsory Education Students in Rural Area".

RESULTSIn 2015, female students aged 6-7 years in rural area in Hunan, China had a significantly greater body length than the rural average in China (P<0.05). However, the other age groups had significantly smaller body length and weight than the rural averages in China (P<0.05). After the implementation of "Nutrition Improvement Program", the prevalence rate of growth retardation decreased (P<0.05), but the prevalence rate of emaciation increased (P<0.05). At the same time, the prevalence rate of overweight/obesity increased (P<0.05) and the prevalence rate of anemia decreased (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe implementation of "Nutrition Improvement Program" has achieved some success, but the nutritional status of school-age children has not improved significantly. Overweight/obesity and malnutrition are still present. Therefore, to promote the nutritional status of school-age children it is recommended to improve the measures for the "Nutrition Improvement Program".

Adolescent ; Child ; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Nutritional Status ; Rural Population

OBJECTIVETo study the nutrition habits among Chinese-Korean children and adolescents in Yanbian Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin, China.

METHODSData were obtained from the Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health in 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 for Chinese-Korean children and adolescents aged 7-18 years. The number of the subjects included was 4789, 4704, 5875, and 5315, respectively.

RESULTSThe rate of the occurrence of stunting showed a declining trend from 1995 to 2010 (for boys: urban, 6.3%; rural, 12.7% in 1995 and 3.5% for both in 2010. For girls: urban, 7.8%; rural, 13.4% in 1995 and 4.2% and 5.5%, respectively, in 2010). Although the ratio of wasting did not show significant differences between the urban and rural children and adolescents in 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010 respectively, the ratio of occurrence of overweight or obesity increased (for boys: urban, 7.3% and 1.3% in 1995, 17.6% and 12.9% in 2010; rural, 7.0% and 1.3% in 1995, 14.6% and 12.8% in 2010, respectively. For girls: urban, 8.1% and 1.0% in 1995, 17.3% and 8.6% in 2010; rural 5.7% and 0.7% in 1995, 16.4% and 7.4% in 2010, respectively).

CONCLUSIONThe ratio of malnutrition in children and adolescents in Chinese-Korean areas declined from 1995 to 2010, and the distinction in malnutrition between the urban and rural areas was negligible in 2010. Further, the ratio of overweight and obesity increased over this period.

Adolescent ; Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Child ; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; China ; epidemiology ; ethnology ; Female ; Growth Disorders ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Male ; Nutritional Status ; Overweight ; epidemiology

OBJECTIVETo understand the feeding status of Tibetan children aged below three years old.

METHODSCross-sectional study and randomly sampling were used. The information on complementary food was obtained through the recollection from mother of the child. Data of complementary food of Tibet children was compared with those of the children from the surveys of nine cities in China and 40 poor counties in western China.

RESULTSOne thousand six hundred and fifty-five children were studied. The findings indicated that the age of introduction of Zanba (a kind food of mixture of highland barley flour and butter) was 1.98 months after birth and the age of introduction of egg and meat was about 8 - 9 months. Boys were fed with Zanba earlier than girls but there was no significant difference in the introduction of other complementary food between sexes. Urban children were introduced with complementary food earlier than rural children, and children in the agricultural region earlier than those in the pasturing region. The proportion of no introduction of any complementary food by the age of 4 months was about 10.6% for urban children, but 21.7% for rural children while 14.2% for children in the agricultural region and 30.9% for children in the pasturing region. The proportion of no introduction of complementary food was 11.5% for Tibetan children compared with 45.2% for the children of 40 poor counties in western China. The proportions of introduction of the following complementary foods were 89.1% for Zanba, 22.1% for egg, 29.1% for fresh milk, 23.5% for meat, 17.5% for vegetable, 0.75% for bean products, 1.03% for fish and 3.35% for chicken respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe main complementary foods for Tibetan children included Zanba, milk, mutton and beef. There was a small amount of vegetable in diet. The introduction of bean, chicken and fish was not common. Early and monotony seemed to be the character of introduction of complementary food for Tibetan children. Improving introduction of complementary food is important in enhancing the nutritional status of Tibetan children.

Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Child, Preschool ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Feeding Behavior ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Food ; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys ; Sampling Studies ; Tibet

Age Factors ; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Child, Preschool ; Diet ; Eating ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Sex Factors

OBJECTIVETo explore the effects of rearing patterns on diet and temperament traits among infants in urban areas.

METHODSA total of 480 25-30-month-old infants were randomly selected from the birth cohort in Hefei Maternal and Child Health Care Center in 2008. A household survey was conducted using China Toddler Temperament Scale (CTTS), Dietary Characteristics Questionnaire and Family Environment Questionnaire.

RESULTSOf the 430 surveyed households, there were three main rearing patterns including parents rearing pattern (Group A), grandparents rearing pattern (Group B) and joint rearing pattern (Group C), accounting for 33.0%, 21.2% and 45.8%, respectively. Infants in Group A tended to adopt processed food pattern, with poor rhythmicity and adaptability; infants in Group B tended to adopt fruit, vegetable, and cereals-based food pattern, with relatively poor rhythmicity; infants in Group C tended to adopt aquatic products and fruit/vegetable-based food pattern, with good rhythmicity and adaptability. Linear regression model showed that infants who consumed more aquatic products, high-protein food, and fruits/vegetables had more positive temperamental traits, whereas infants who consumed more processed foods had more negative temperamental traits.

CONCLUSIONSA joint rearing pattern may be a favorable rearing style for infants aged 25-30 months in urban areas in terms of diet and temperament traits.

Child Rearing ; Child, Preschool ; Diet ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Temperament

Child ; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Congresses as Topic ; Health Policy ; Humans ; Infant ; Malnutrition ; prevention & control ; Nutritional Sciences ; Obesity ; etiology ; prevention & control

Child ; Digestive System ; metabolism ; Glutamine ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immune System ; metabolism ; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; physiology

OBJECTIVETo investigate the process to accept the new complementary food, by infants and to analyze the influential factors.

METHODA total of 105 infants were enrolled in this study. Early infant temperament questionnaires were answered by the mothers. The infants were given 10 times to touch new food (carrot mud), and each of their mealtime score of a 5 degrees system was recorded. The distinctions of the food acceptance were analyzed by using chi-square test. The relations between feeding patterns, sex, maternal parity, education and favor of carrot were analyzed by ANOVA and multivariate correlation analysis respectively.

RESULTThe infants showed a certain degree of rejection to taste the new food carrot and begin to accept after tasting for several times. By the 5(th) taste the carrot mud was accepted by most infants (87.7%). The breastfed infants were easier to accept the carrot than the formula-fed infants. There was certain degree of difference in accepting the new food between the genders. The male infants were more difficult to accept carrot than female infants. Mother's education level did not affect the baby's acceptance.

CONCLUSIONMany factors affect the infant's acceptance of new food. Repeatedly tasting new foods will help the infant's acceptance. Infants need at least 5 times of tasting, preferably more than 10 times, to accept new food. Attention should be paid to increase the infant's early experience on the new food. Further research should explore whether the effects of food on the early formation of the picky eating behavior of children.

Eating ; psychology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Behavior ; Infant Formula ; Male ; Nutritional Physiological Phenomena ; Psychology, Child

Brain Injuries ; Child, Preschool ; Consensus ; Energy Intake ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena