Regular Meals at School as a Factor of Physical Development of Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cohort Study
Background: In Russian schools, children are provided with meals, and certain categories of students get free meals. However, not all school students eat regularly.Objective: Our aim was to study the role of school meals in physical development of children and adolescents.Methods: The survey of scho...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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"Paediatrician" Publishers LLC
2016-09-01
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| Series: | Вопросы современной педиатрии |
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| Online Access: | https://vsp.spr-journal.ru/jour/article/view/1654 |
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| author | Igor J. Esaulenko Tatiana L. Nastausheva Olga A. Zhdanova Olga V. Minakova Iya I. Logvinova Ludmila I. Ippolitova |
| author_facet | Igor J. Esaulenko Tatiana L. Nastausheva Olga A. Zhdanova Olga V. Minakova Iya I. Logvinova Ludmila I. Ippolitova |
| author_sort | Igor J. Esaulenko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: In Russian schools, children are provided with meals, and certain categories of students get free meals. However, not all school students eat regularly.Objective: Our aim was to study the role of school meals in physical development of children and adolescents.Methods: The survey of schoolchildren aged 8–18 years (Voronezh) revealed two groups of students who eat at school regularly (Group 1) and on occasions (Group 2). We calculated Z scores of body length and body mass index (BMI) using ANTHROPlus software. Nutritional status was determined based on the values of standard BMI deviations ( +2, +2 to +1, -1 to -2, -2). Health groups were formed according to the Children Health Comprehensive Assessment Instruction.Results: 484 schoolchildren (students of grades 3–11) were examined. 251 (52%) school students had regular meals at school. Regular meal frequency decreased from 69% in the group of 8–10 year old students to 30% in the group of 15–18-year-olds. Z scores of body length in students of Groups 1 and 2 did not differ (0.44 ± 1.00 and 0.30 ± 1.00, respectively; p = 0.124). At the same time, children in Group 1 had higher Z scores of BMI (0.44 ± 1.30 and 0.12 ± 1.30, respectively; p = 0.007). In Group 1, the incidence of overweight and obesity decreased from 40% in group of 8–10 year old students to 15% in 15–18-year-olds, in Group 2 — from 35 to 18%, respectively; incidence of malnutrition increased from 9 to 24% in Group 1 and from 11 to 15% in Group 2. In Group 1, the number of students with health group III or IV was smaller (30% compared to 42% in the control group; p = 0.005).Conclusion: Regular meals at school are an important, but not critical factor in the physical development of children. The absence of regular meals at school may be a risk factor for chronic diseases in schoolchildren. |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1682-5527 1682-5535 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-03-14T09:38:04Z |
| publishDate | 2016-09-01 |
| publisher | "Paediatrician" Publishers LLC |
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| series | Вопросы современной педиатрии |
| spelling | doaj.art-951eee9d4de244c9971a7556bb92275d2025-03-02T11:34:19Zeng"Paediatrician" Publishers LLCВопросы современной педиатрии1682-55271682-55352016-09-0115436437010.15690/vsp.v15i4.15871615Regular Meals at School as a Factor of Physical Development of Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cohort StudyIgor J. Esaulenko0Tatiana L. Nastausheva1Olga A. Zhdanova2Olga V. Minakova3Iya I. Logvinova4Ludmila I. Ippolitova5N.N. Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University, Voronezh, Russian FederationN.N. Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University, Voronezh, Russian FederationN.N. Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University, Voronezh, Russian FederationVoronezh State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Voronezh, Russian FederationN.N. Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University, Voronezh, Russian FederationN.N. Burdenko Voronezh State Medical University, Voronezh, Russian FederationBackground: In Russian schools, children are provided with meals, and certain categories of students get free meals. However, not all school students eat regularly.Objective: Our aim was to study the role of school meals in physical development of children and adolescents.Methods: The survey of schoolchildren aged 8–18 years (Voronezh) revealed two groups of students who eat at school regularly (Group 1) and on occasions (Group 2). We calculated Z scores of body length and body mass index (BMI) using ANTHROPlus software. Nutritional status was determined based on the values of standard BMI deviations ( +2, +2 to +1, -1 to -2, -2). Health groups were formed according to the Children Health Comprehensive Assessment Instruction.Results: 484 schoolchildren (students of grades 3–11) were examined. 251 (52%) school students had regular meals at school. Regular meal frequency decreased from 69% in the group of 8–10 year old students to 30% in the group of 15–18-year-olds. Z scores of body length in students of Groups 1 and 2 did not differ (0.44 ± 1.00 and 0.30 ± 1.00, respectively; p = 0.124). At the same time, children in Group 1 had higher Z scores of BMI (0.44 ± 1.30 and 0.12 ± 1.30, respectively; p = 0.007). In Group 1, the incidence of overweight and obesity decreased from 40% in group of 8–10 year old students to 15% in 15–18-year-olds, in Group 2 — from 35 to 18%, respectively; incidence of malnutrition increased from 9 to 24% in Group 1 and from 11 to 15% in Group 2. In Group 1, the number of students with health group III or IV was smaller (30% compared to 42% in the control group; p = 0.005).Conclusion: Regular meals at school are an important, but not critical factor in the physical development of children. The absence of regular meals at school may be a risk factor for chronic diseases in schoolchildren.https://vsp.spr-journal.ru/jour/article/view/1654body lengthbody mass indexschool studentshealth groupsmeals |
| spellingShingle | Igor J. Esaulenko Tatiana L. Nastausheva Olga A. Zhdanova Olga V. Minakova Iya I. Logvinova Ludmila I. Ippolitova Regular Meals at School as a Factor of Physical Development of Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cohort Study Вопросы современной педиатрии body length body mass index school students health groups meals |
| title | Regular Meals at School as a Factor of Physical Development of Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cohort Study |
| title_full | Regular Meals at School as a Factor of Physical Development of Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cohort Study |
| title_fullStr | Regular Meals at School as a Factor of Physical Development of Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cohort Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Regular Meals at School as a Factor of Physical Development of Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cohort Study |
| title_short | Regular Meals at School as a Factor of Physical Development of Children and Adolescents: Results of a Cohort Study |
| title_sort | regular meals at school as a factor of physical development of children and adolescents results of a cohort study |
| topic | body length body mass index school students health groups meals |
| url | https://vsp.spr-journal.ru/jour/article/view/1654 |
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