TITLE:
Dual Burden of Malnutrition among Primary School Children in Myanmar
AUTHORS:
Moh Moh Hlaing, Mya Ohnamr, Sandar Tun, Thidar Khine, Wah Wah Win, Su Su Hlaing, Hla Phyo Linn, Khin Hnin Wint Phyu, Nyein Nyein Win
KEYWORDS:
Dual Burden, Malnutrition, Primary School Children
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.12 No.2,
February
18,
2021
ABSTRACT: Background: The distribution of childhood nutritional diseases is shifting from a
predominance of under nutrition to a dual burden of under-and over nutrition
in low and middle income countries. Rapid
economic development and urbanization lead to an increase in overweight and obesity and diet-related chronic diseases. The
co-existence of under-and over nutrition is double burden and this is a public
health challenge for community. Objective: To find out the nutritional status of primary school children. Method: The
study was school based descriptive study
and conducted during November 2014 to February 2015 in basic primary schools,
basic middle schools and basic high schools in urban and rural area of Yangon, Mandalay, Taungyi and Mawlamyaing. A total of (2937)
Grade IV and Grade V students were measured for weight, height and 592 students
were measured for haemoglobin by standard equipment and standard procedure. Results: The overall prevalences of
stunting, wasting, overweight, obesity and anaemia were 8.8%, 15%, 4.6% and
3.1% and 36.1% respectively.
The prevalences of
stunting, over weight and obesity were
more prevalent in boys and wasting and anaemia were more prevalent in girls.
The result showed that the stunting was more prevalent in rural than in urban (7.5% in urban and 12.0%
in rural). The prevalences of overweight
and obesity were higher in urban than rural area (overweight 5.3% in urban and 2.8% in rural, obesity 3.8% in
urban and 0.9% in rural). Children residing in urban area had higher anthropometric parameter than rural children. Conclusion: The
present study observed the coexistence of obesity, overweight and
undernourishment (wasting and stunting) among Myanmar School children.The findings highlighted
the need for continued health promotion efforts to improve nutritional status of primary school children.