Abstract
Introduction: Micronutrient deficiencies and a diversity of diet are important nutritional issues among school age children. Geographic disparities might play a role in the heterogeneity of nutritional status among children in various geographic locations. Objective: To compare selected micronutrient profiles, dietary diversity and growth measurements among rural and urban school-aged children and test for their cross sectional associations. Design: Comparative cross sectional study was conducted among 100 school age children, aged 6-12 years, from Attock, Northern Punjab. Fifty children each from rural and urban community. Serum ferritin, serum retinol, urinary iodine (UI) concentration, Individual Dietary Diversity Score (IDDS), Height for age z-score (HAZ) and BMI for age z-score (BAZ) were determined. Data analysis of these measures between the groups was carried out using t-test and chi-square and correlation among these measures using Pearson correlation. Results: Rural children had significantly lower mean values of ferritin (18.4±6.2 versus 29.1±8.5 g/L), retinol (0.82±0.21 versus 1.15±0.28mol/L), UI concentration(108.5±28.4 versus142.3±31.6g/L)and IDDS(3.6±0.9 versus 5.8±1.2; P <0.001 for all). Iron deficiency was more common among the children of rural community (38.0%) than in those of the urban community (14.0%; RR 2.71, 95%CI 1.25-5.88) and same was the case for vitamin A deficiency (32.0% vs. 10.0%; RR 3.20, 95%CI 1.27-8.07). Rural children had poorer stature and weight as against the urban children based on HAZ and BAZ measurements. The correlations of IDDS with ferritin, retinol, UI, HAZ and BAZ were all positive. Conclusion: Rural school children had poorer micronutrient biomarkers, dietary diversity and physical development compared with urban counterparts with an evidence of association of diversity measures with micronutrient biomarkers and physical measurements.