The effect of daily meal support program on improvement of anthropometric indices in 2-6 years old children in Iranshahr, Iran

Pediatric malnutrition is prevalent in developing countries including Iran. One of the most important factors that effects on children growth is nutritious food intake. This study was designed to study the effect of daily ready to use meal in 2-6 years children in daycare centers. 715 children have been assessed in this study and weight and height were measured before and after the 6-month intervention with daily ready to use meal. Anthropometric indices compared with WHO standards of 2007. Wasting decreased significantly from 29% to 19% in 2-5 children before and after the intervention, respectively. Also, the underweight prevalence decreased significantly from 27% to 19% in all 2-6 children. Furthermore, the prevalence of wasting and underweight in boys was more than girls. According to BMI/age Z-score, thinness prevalence lowered significantly from 23% to 15%. But height/age Z-score didn’t change significantly. The results of this study showed that nutrition intervention can improve health indicators in children suffering from malnutrition.