OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the acceptability of four height/length boards as measuring equipment, (1) NNC wooden height board (HB), (2) Allen's stick, (3) aluminum-acrylic height board, and (4) stadiometer, from the perspective of the community nutrition and health workers (CNHWs) and mothers/caregivers.

METHODS: The study was conducted in two municipalities in the province of Laguna, Philippines. Respondents were 12 CNHWs and 22 parents/guardians of randomly selected children ages 1-5 years. Focus group discussions were also conducted among CNHWs to determine their perceptions, experiences, and feedback on the use of the equipment. Parents/guardians were interviewed about their views on the acceptability of the equipment.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the urban area, Allen's stick was most favored by end-users, while in the rural area, the NNC wooden HB was the most acceptable. Meanwhile, guardians preferred the aluminum-acrylic HB in the rural area and Allen's stick in the urban area. It was concluded that the use of height boards to measure the height or length of children was acceptable to both CHNWs and parents. CHNWs preferred the stadiometer for height measurement and Allen's stick for length measurement. In contrast parents/guardians preferred the aluminum-acrylic HB and Allen's stick as these were deemed non-threatening, culturally acceptable, safe, comfortable for the children, and the procedures were easily understood.

This study aimed to assess the nutritional and physical activity status among adults living in low-cost housing area. This cross-sectional study involved 115 adults aged from 18 to 59 years old (46 male and 69 female). Anthropometric and body composition measurements of height, weight, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumference were taken. Biochemical measurements included blood glucose, blood cholesterol and blood pressure. Dietary intake was evaluated by interviewing subjects using Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQ). Physical activity status was determined by interviewing subjects using International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Most of the subjects were found to be mainly on low socioeconomic status and working as blue collar workers. The mean body mass index (BMI) for men and women were 27.3 ± 6.3 kg/m2 and 28.5 ± 5.3 kg/m2, respectively. The waist-hip ratio of men and women were 0.92 ± 0.07 and 0.86 ± 0.06, respectively. Mean blood pressure observed was 128.8 ± 18.8 mmHg (systolic) and 78.2 ± 12.1 mmHg (diastolic). Mean blood glucose was reported to be 6.6 ± 3.2 mmol/L while the mean blood cholesterol was 5.2 ± 1.0 mmol/L. Overall energy intake was 2705 ± 603 kcal with the contribution of 53.4% carbohydrate, 13.5% protein and 32.5% fat to overall energy intake. The nutrients that did not achieve Malaysia’s Recommended Nutrient Intake (RNI) were calcium (73.1%), thiamine (70.5%), folate (25.0%) and vitamin A (19.6%). The mean physical activity of subjects was 6739.8 ± 8135.6 MET-min/week (high physical activity). In conclusion, the adults living in low-cost housing have unsatisfactory nutritional status yet they have good physical activity level which might be contributed by their occupation.
Nutritional Status

The increasing trend of childhood obesity is becoming an imminent concern in both developed and developing countries. Besides genetic predisposition, environmental and social factors are contributory factors to this global epidemic. These factors include maternal feeding practices and style. This study determined mothers' parental feeding styles in the province of Ilocos Sur and the factors that predict them. Also, the study ascertained if parental feeding styles are related to the child's Body Mass Index (BMI). This study used the descriptive-correlational research method and included 156 mothers with children aged 2-3. Respondents were chosen purposively. The Parental Feeding Style Questionnaire developed by Wardle et al. (2002) was used to gather the needed data. For data analysis, the frequency and percentage, mean, multiple regression, and Pearson product-moment of correlation were used. This study concluded that mothers vary in their characteristics and so on their feeding styles. Based on study results, they have high levels of encouragement and emotional feeding and average levels of instrumental feeding and control over feeding. However, encouragement feeding is the dominant feeding style among respondents among the four feeding styles. Various maternal traits have been found to predict a specific parental feeding style except for the control over feeding subscale. Additionally, only encouragement feeding was found to have an indirect correlation with a child's BMI.
Nutritional Status

A final impact evaluation of “Quang Binh – GTZ- Intergrated Food Security Project” (1996-2001) on 360 households, 671 children under five and 360 mothers with under five children at 12 project communes belonging to Tuyen Hoa and Minh Hoa district has been conducted. The results showed that: child malnutrition prevalence has been reduced: underweight was signficant lower than that in 1996. Wasting was 5.9% in Tuyen Hoa, 3.7 % in Minh Hoa. Stunting was still very high, 50.% in Tuyen Hoa, 58.3% in Minh Hoa, not different from that in 1996, higher than national data 2001 (35.0%). Lower Birth Weight (LBM) rate was 5.3%. The CED of mothers with under five children in Tuyen Hoa was 16% and in Minh Hoa 21%, significant lower than those in 1996 (37.8% and 27.2%)
Nutritional Status ; Mothers ; Child

No abstract available.
Humans ; Nutritional Status* ; Prognosis*

A comparative study on the elderly (over 60) and people with ages of 50-59 in some areas of the delta of northern Vietnam was carried out by interview, examination of the body weight, height, abdominal size, arm size, body mass index, hemoglobin as method of cross by with reagent of Drabkin. The results have shown that the body weight, height, breast size, abdominal size was gradually reduced. These were indirect proportional with the increased age and were the same between different ecological areas. The rate of thin people were high grade II, III while the rate of fat people were low. The rate f anemia in the people with BMI in the thin level was 23,4%, this rate in the people with the normal BMI was 13.2%. The fat people found not suffering the anemia.
Nutritional Status ; Aged

The survey was conducted on members of 7600 households who were participated to the national nutrition survey in year 2000. It was found that 32.8% of 6 to 14-year children are underweight and 2.2% have sign of overweight. Rate of underweight children has trend to decrease and that of overweight children is increasing dramatically. Chronic energy insufficiency in childbearing women is decreasing significantly through nationwide. This rate is lowest in age group of 15 - 19 years, then decrease over ages in urban areas but stabilises in rural areas. The prevalence of overweight is increasing both in children and adult, especially in urban areas and higher in women than in men.
Nutritional Status ; Aged

To investigate the real diet and nutritional status of children and women in the reproductive ages as household economic level in Cua dong precinct and communes in Ha Tay, Yen bai, Thanh hoa, Khanh hoa and Tien giang provinces. The results showed that the consumption of animal food was increasingly as increase of economic level. The diet’s average energy of the poor, normal and quite economy level were1705 Kcal, 1969 Kcal and 2254 Kcal, respectively. The malnutrional rate in the households with the quite economic level was mainly high. The overweight rate was increasingly.
Nutritional Status ; Child ; Women

1095 persons in Dai Lai sanatorium were studied from 1997 to 1999. The result showed that: 7.31% patients were skinny, 16.71% thin, 21.18% rather thin, 8.31% overweight, 0.55% obesity (by WHO classification,1998). On average, each person has 1.8 diseases 91.86 for male and 1.43 for female). Four highest prevalences were cadiovascular disease (60.82%), digestive diseases (36.71%), respiratory disease (18.08%) and musculoskeletal diseases (14.80%). In cardiovascular group, hypertension was highest (25.75%) and then to cerebrovascular disease (10.32%)
Nutritional Status ; Aged

This is a cross-sectional analysis baseline survey in 8 communes belonging to international project Viet Nam-Finance of "Quang Tri Rural Development Programme". Objectives: To assess actual situation and factors affecting the household food and nutrition security in order to recommend feasible intervention measures, which include agricultural production for improving population's dietary intakes. Methods: Subjects were selected from households, mothers and childrren. Combined quantitative-qualitative methods was applied for households. Results: Food insecurity was still experienced by the households; poor infrastructure system, health environment services, personal hygiene and care, especially in Dak Rong. LBW rates and child malnutrition prevalences of 3 forms were high. CED rate of mothers with children under five was not so high, but significantly related to the child underweight. Conclusion: LBW rates and pediatric malnutrition prevalences of 3 forms were very high in Dak Rong and the poor households found more likely to be the consequence of high CED rate of mothers, household food insecurity, poor health-environment services, personal hygiene and care (underlying fators), poor infrastructure system and education level, especially in Dak Rong (basic ones).
Nutritional Status ; Child ; Mothers