Heights and Weights of Schoolchildren in St Vincent

Abstract

SummaryHeights and weights were measured of 5600 children aged 5 to 14 years, of predominantly African origin, attending primary schools situated in rural areas of St Vincent. The mean size of these children was intermediate between that of London children recorded in 1905 to 1912 and in 1959 and not greatly different from that found in recent years in most other parts of the West Indies. These St Vincent children were larger than those measured in a small survey 20 years ago. For a given height, they were lighter than London children in 1959 and obesity was much less common. Signs of serious malnutrition were rare. A standard of mean heights and weights of West Indian children from lower socio-economic classes and of predominantly African origin has been calculated from the results of recent surveys in five different countries.