Birth weight and nutritional status in school‐age children from Boane city, Mozambique

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundBirth weight is considered an important marker of inadequate maternal nutrition, and it is a critical indicator of the newborn's health and development.ObjectiveThis study evaluated the influence of low birth weight (LBW) on body composition in 7–10‐year‐old school children from Boane City—Mozambique.MethodsA total of 220 children (female = 122 and male = 98) were divided into two groups according to their birth weight (LBW, n = 41; and normal birth weight, NBW, n = 179). Anthropometric indicators of nutritional status were analyzed by the indices weight‐for‐age, height‐for‐age, BMI‐for‐age, and weight‐for‐height.ResultsLBW children showed reduced skinfolds, and weight‐for‐height when compared to NBW children. Birth weight was positively associated with all anthropometric variables, except for BMI, which was not associated with any other variable. The r2 value ranged from .09 (weight‐for‐age) to .72 (height‐for‐age). For body composition variables, older children had higher fat mass (β = .26; 95% CI = 0.05–0.48) and fat‐free mass (β = 1.10; 95% CI = 0.71–1.48), and boys had lower fat percentage (β = −3.49; 95% CI = −4.35 to −2.65) and fat mass (β = −.92; 95% CI = −1.31 to −0.55) than girls. Birth weight was also positively associated with fat‐free mass.ConclusionLBW seems to influence some growth indicators of children living in Boane, however, current environmental factors seem to weaken this association. Our results suggest that public policies involving healthy nutrition and physical activity can reverse the effects of low weight in children from Boane.