Nutrition assessment of preschool children

Abstract EN

This study aims to assess the dietary intake and nutritional status of preschool children, to reveal the impact of feeding practices on growth of children.

This work was carried out on a systematic random sample of 160 children of age ranged from 16-36 months in two sites of Egypt Cairo and El-Fayoum, (80 children in each).

Results of the present work showed that social class has no significant influence on the nutritional status of children.

There is a relation adequacy of feeding as regard to energy intake and protein intake on one hand and money of food expenditure on the other hand.

All subjects had an adequate intake as compared to their level of RDA for total protein, carbohydrate, iron, thiamin and riboflavin.

On the other hand all children had inadequate intake of calcium.

Also our results showed that girls intake of most nutrients was lower than that of the boys.

Regarding weight/age, hight/age and weight/age ratios it is noticed that the majority of the children’s values were located the within normal range.

The results of this study indicated the impotant of developing nutrition education programs to improve mother’s nutritional knowledge and thus child health status.