Nutritional status of students in public schools

Resumo

The study assessed the nutrition status of public school students in the city of Carinhanha, state of Bahia, Brazil. It was a cross-sectional study made in 2012, with 224 students from 6 to 9 years of age, of both sexes, mostly from families of low socioeconomic level. The nutrition status was assessed by checking weight and height According to the body mass index per age, malnutrition was observed in 3.6% of the students, overweight in 7.6% and obesity in 5.8%. A tendency towards overweight was observed in 13.4% of the students. Concerning the relation height/age, it was adequate in 218 students (97.3%). These results indicate that the public elementary school students assessed showed a tendency towards overweight, and strategies that promote their health through adequate nutrition must be implemented.