ESPE Abstracts

Keywords: short stature, underweight, overweight, obesity

Introduction: Natural growth is an important indicator of health in childhood. Growth retardation can result from systemic and endocrine diseases or poor diet. Being overweight or obese in childhood increases the risk of morbidity and mortality in adulthood. This study, the first of its kind in Morocco, was conducted to compare the prevalence of growth disorders among children enrolled in public and private schools, in urban and rural areas of the province of Oujda-Angad.

Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among primary schools in Oujda-Angad Province, in the eastern region of Morocco, from November 2017 to April 2018, with a stratified random cluster sampling of public, private, urban, and rural primary schools.

Results: A representative sample of 1582 students aged between 5 to 15 years was selected. The study included 779 girls (49.2%) and 803 boys (50.8%), with a mean age of 9.3±1.96 years. The average weight of the students was 29.3±9.6kg, the average height was 133.7±12.16 cm and the average body mass index (BMI) was 16.05±3.31kg/m2. Overall, short stature and underweight were significantly more prevalent in public and rural schools, while obesity was more common in urban private schools, which were classified as the schools with the highest socioeconomic status (SES). Female students were more susceptible to becoming overweight and obese, while male students were more likely to be underweight.

Discussion and Conclusion: Our study provides an estimate of the prevalence of overweight, underweight, and stunting in an elementary school population. Our results reflect the need to be vigilant about nutritional status at both the individual and community levels, and the need to implement prevention, diagnosis, and early management strategies before the problem worsens. It is imperative that the school health program periodically monitor the eating habits and physical development of children. Appropriate nutrition advice and exercise counseling should be provided not only to school children, but also to their educators and parents or tutors.