Implementing an Integrated Nutrition Programme - Health Systems ...

Department of Health survey
The National Department of Health undertook a survey of school entrants in 1994. A total
of 97 790 children, equal to 4.9% of school entrants, were included in the study. The
average age was 7.4 years.
Figures for the province are shown in Table 5 with the national figures in brackets.
Breakdown by population group is shown in Appendix A.
Table 5: Percentage of school entrants with low anthropometric values (DoH study)
Measurement -2 Z score -3 Z score Sample size
Weight-for-age 19.2 (13.2) 3.7 (2.6) 5 053 (97 790)
Weight-for-height 5.4 (2.6) 0.3 (0.2) Average age
Height-for-age 20.9 (9.0) 1.3 (0.5) 7.6 (7.4)
The data is in line with the Vitamin A study and again indicates that wasting (low weight-forheight)
is not a serious problem on a national basis. Once again the Northern Cape was
found to have a high rate of UWFA when compared with other provinces.
SALDRU study
A study undertaken by SALDRU reported that 35.6% of Northern Cape children had low
height-for-age i.e. were stunted. This was well above the national average of 25.4% found in
the study.
Interpreting the results
The results from the three studies are summarised in the table below.
Table 6: Summary of anthropometric data
Study Percentage stunting Percentage UWFA
N.Cape National N.Cape National
Preschool (SAVACG) 22.8 27.0 15.6 10.6
Preschool (SALDRU) 35.6 25.4 -
School entrants (DoH) 19.2 13.2 20.9 9.0
Overall the studies suggest that approximately 20 - 30 % of preschool children in the
Northern Cape are stunted and that approximately 15 - 20 % of children are underweightfor-age
(UWFA).
The average prevalence of underweight-for-age is therefore high in comparison to other
provinces. This can in part be explained by the demographics of the province. Analysis of
demographic data collected by several researchers from 1976 to 1996 from more than 60
000 preschool children revealed that amongst coloured, white and Indian children mean
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