Height increase among school children assisting to first grade during the last decade in Chile

Background: In most developing countries, the prevalence of height deficit among schoolchildren correlates well with poverty. Therefore this indicator is frequently used to monitor the quality of life of a population. Aim: To assess the changes in height of children entering first grade during the last decade. Material and methods: The records of the Chilean Board of School Assistance, that recollects anthropometric data on 80% of the national population of school age children, were used. For the purposes of this analysis, data from first graders in 1987, 1990, 1993 and 1996 were considered. The absolute variation of height, height for age Z scores were calculated. Children were grouped by sex and by age, using 7 years old as the cutoff value. Results: During the last decade, height has increased significantly in men and women and in all ages. The increase has been greater in younger children. There is a higher proportion of males than women with height deficit. Conclusions: The increase in height can be attributed to the improvement in social, economic and biological conditions of our population as well as to the targeting strategies of existing food programs.