Evaluation of the Nutritional Status of Primary 1 Pupils in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria

The nutritional status of 542 primary pupils from different socio-economic classes in Abeokuta South Local Government of Ogun State was studied. Weight for age; height for age and weight for eight anthropometric parameters were employed. The data obtained were compared with the United States National Centre for Health Statistics (NCHS) reference population. When all the pupils studied were considered together, 51.7, 48.6 and 1.3% were underweight, stunted, wasted and overweight, respectively. When pupils were considered based on sex and school type, significantly (p< 0.05) higher percentage of pupils from low socio-economic status (Type I schools) were underweight (74.7%), stunted (64.6%) and wasted (23.4%) than from the medium (Type II schools) and upper socioeconomic status (Type III schools). However, the prevalence of overweight was significantly (p< 0.05) higher among pupils from upper socioeconomic status. Also, significantly (p< 0.05) more boys were underweight, stunted and wasted than female within pupils from each socioeconomic status. There is therefore, the need for Nigerian government to address the twin issue of widespread poverty and unemployment in the country with a view to improving the socioeconomic status of parents, which will ultimately translate to improved nutritional status among the school children.