Abstract
In 1976, nutritional status was identified for 139 kindergarten and first grade children on the basis of height, mid arm muscle circumference (MAMC) and hemoglobin level. Reading levels of children were ranked separately by grade. A correlation between height percentile and reading level was found for children with an MAMC below median for age and sex, (r=0.28, p=0.013). An excess of the short children were anemic, but no difference in reading skills were found for anemic and non-anemic children. An intervention protocol was initiated for children identified as malnourished.
In 1977, for 47 children in first grade there was an assessment of nutritional status and reading skills for successive years. Children whose height increased the most, also increased most in reading level (r=0.32, p=0.029). In a model for linear regression, it was found that change in height contributed significantly to change in reading level (F=4.85, p=0.046).
The percentage of variance for reading level accounted for by height that we found in the U.S. is consistent with findings in underdeveloped countries. Correction of this nutritional deficit was associated with an improvement in reading level. The identification of these malnourished children required a technigue not commonly utilized in schools (upper arm anthropometry).
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Karn, R., Fairorth, J., Berger, R. et al. 51 CATCH UP GROWTH IN HEIGHT ASSOCIATED WITH IMPROVEMENT IN READING SKILLS FOR MALNOURISHED EARLY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN IN A POOR COMMUNITY. Pediatr Res 12 (Suppl 4), 372 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00056
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197804001-00056