Dietary intake and nutritional status of preschool children in a north China village

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to examine the nutritional status of preschool children in a rural north China village. A number of variables, such as dietary intakes, anthropometric measurements, and sociocultural factors affecting nutritional well-being are studied. The findings will allow us to clarify the extent to which a child's nutritional status is related to sociocultural factors such as family income, parental education, household size, number of children, mother's age, and so forth. Lack of nutritional education among adults contributes to the nutritional status of Fengjia preschool children. Cooking methods may play a role in preventing nutrient intakes among these people. Dietary tradition in post-partum period may have a negative impact on a child's nutritional status. The consumption of foods with low and poor nutritional quality affects nutrient intakes for these children. There is a gender preference existing among Fengjia people favoring boys. Fengjia still have a long way to go towards improving the nutritional status of their children. That children suffer from nutritional energy-protein deprivation is deserving of additional government attention. Therefore, action on the aforementioned factors is necessary to improve the nutritional status of these children.