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A sample of 1865 students aged between 7 and 14 years old was randomly selected from different socioeconomic statuses to study the nutritional status of the students in Cali, Colombia. Z score was used to evaluate their nutritional status: height for age, weight for age, and weight for height. The results were compared with the National Center for Health Statistics reference (NCHS). For the obesity evañuation it was used the body mass index (BMI) and the triceps SKINS fold. Results showed that of all the children, 50% showed some risk of malnutrition due to their height. Although only 2.85% were in the high-risk group for this parameter, 57% of these children showed the risk of malnutrition for weight, but only 0.44% showed a high risk for this parameter. The highest risk for malnutrition was found in the low class, with a tendency to decrease in the middle and high classes. For the three socioeconomic levels, it was found that the Z score height decreased with age. A total of 28% of the high class and 10% of the low class could be considered obese, according to the triceps skin fold results. The BMI showed a major standard deviation in the high class and significant differences among the three socioeconomic levels.

Luis Francisco Fajardo, Profesor Titular, Jefe Sección de Nutrición, Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Profesor Titular, Jefe Sección de Nutrición, Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Beatriz Gracia de Ramírez, Profesora Asociada, Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Profesora Asociada, Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Leonardo Lareo, Jefe Laboratorio de Nutrición, Programa de Fríjol, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Palmira, Colombia

Jefe Laboratorio de Nutrición, Programa de Fríjol, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Palmira, Colombia

Luz Marina Angel, Química, Sección de Nutrición, Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Química, Sección de Nutrición, Departamento de Pediatría, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Luis Hernando Romero, Profesor Asociado, Departamento de Matemáticas, Facultad de Educación, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Profesor Asociado, Departamento de Matemáticas, Facultad de Educación, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia

Fajardo, L. F., Gracia de Ramírez, B., Lareo, L., Angel, L. M., & Romero, L. H. (1990). Nutrition in schoolchildren in Cali. Colombia Medica, 21(2), 50–57. https://doi.org/10.25100/cm.v21i2.6296

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