Ninth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

This study examined the gender, age, and geographic differences in the anthropometric and nutritional profiles of children and adolescents in Henan Province, China’s third most populous province. This cross-sectional study of the China National Nutrition and Health survey (2010–2013) used a multistage cluster sampling. Sample included Chinese schoolchildren and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years (1,660 boys and 1,561 girls) in Henan province. Anthropometric data were converted into height-for-age and body-mass-index-for-age Z scores with CDC Epi 7 Info using WHO reference curve and analyzed by SAS software. The boys’ largest increase in height occurred when 10-11 years old, while that of girls occurred when 11-12 years old. Subjects in ordinary rural areas had the highest percentage of underweight (19.7%), stunting (4.8%), and overweight (3.0%), compared to other three regions. Compared to their male counterparts, young girls at the age of 6-8 and 9-12 appeared to have a higher risk of thinness III. The gender difference was more pronounced in children up to the age of 8 for thinness II and III. The current study revealed the presence of a substantial dual burden of malnutrition among children and adolescents in rural areas. Evidence also indicated the gender inequality in nutritional health. Scientific and effective policy and preventions should be carried out to draw a fine line and trade-off for eliminating morbidity and mortality of undernutrition, without triggering the risk of overweight/obesity for at-risk populations in specific geographic areas and to reduce gender inequality with child malnutrition.