Nutritional Status, Body Composition and Health Conditions of the Karen Hill Tribe Children Aged 1-6 Years in Northern Thailand

泰國北部Karen山區部落1－6歲少數民族兒童營養狀況、體組成及健康情形

Prasong Tienboon ； Prasit Wangpakapattanawong

《Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition》 16卷2期 (2007/06) Pp. 279-285

https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.2007.16.2.12

摘要

前言：在泰國，依據公共衛生部針對泰國城市族群所做的國民營養調查，約有12%1－6歲的學齡前兒童為營養不良。在山區少數（“山區部落”）兒童營養不良率遠較城市兒童高。此研究報告居住在泰國Karen山區部落的1－6歲兒童之營養不良、體組成及健康狀況。方法：泰國北部湄蔣縣的三個Karen村落（Mae Hae Tai、Mae Yot、Mae Raek）1－6歲兒童（N=158；83名男孩、75名女孩）全部納入研究。所有兒童均進行體位測量及並換算成體組成資料。所有的兒童均經過一位合格的醫生評估。所有兒童的糞便及血液塗片經過一位合格的醫事技術員檢查是否有瘧疾。結果：參與研究的男孩及女孩的家庭收入均低於泰國的貧窮線（1,000美元／年）。來自於三個村落的男孩及女孩的體重、身高或是身體質量指數沒有顯著差異。採用年齡別體重評估營養不良的兒童為85.5%，年齡別身高（發育遲緩）為73%及身高體重別（耗損）為48.4%。男孩總體脂肪量雖較女孩高，但是男女的瘦體組織及脂肪重均是低的。幾乎所有的兒童（98%）患有上呼吸道感染、皮膚感染、疥瘡及/或腹瀉。同樣的，幾乎全部的兒童（97%）在他們的胸部及腿部呈現鱗狀及乾性皮膚。約有10%的兒童因為他們的微量營養素缺乏，而有口角炎、牙齦出血（3%）、O型腿（1%）或是額骨突起之現象。三個村落的兒童均未感染瘧原蟲。平均54%Mae Hae Tai兒童、85%Mae Yot兒童，但是只有4%Mae Raek兒童感染寄生蟲。蛔蟲是三個村落所有的兒童最常見的寄生蟲感染問題。結論：在泰國Karen山區部落的1－6歲兒童有高的營養不良盛行率。大部分的兒童患有上呼吸道感染、皮膚感染、疥瘡及／或腹瀉。幾乎所有的兒童胸部及腿部皮膚呈現鱗片狀及乾性，指出必需脂肪酸缺乏的問題。只有10%的兒童有維生素缺乏，如維生素B2、C及D。

關鍵字

營養狀況 ； 體組成 ； PEM ； 蛋白質熱量營養不良 ； 微量營養素缺乏 ； 健康 ； 生病 ； 腸內寄生蟲病 ； Karen ； 兒童 ； 山區部落 ； 泰國

並列摘要

Introduction: In Thailand, according to the national nutrition survey of the Thai population who live in the cities by the Ministry of Public Health, about 12% of preschool children aged 1-6 years were malnourished. The rate of malnutrition is much higher among mountain minority ('hill tribe') children than city children. This paper reports a study of malnutrition, body composition and health conditions of Karen hill tribe children aged 1-6 years in Thailand.Methods: All children aged 1-6 years (N = 158; 83 boys, 75 girls) from the three Karen villages (Mae Hae Tai, Mae Yot, Mae Raek) of Mae Chaem district in the north of Thailand were studied. Anthropometric measurements of all children were obtained and body composition data were derived. All children were examined by a qualified medical doctor. A stool sample and blood smear for malaria from all children were examined by a well qualified medical technologist.Results: All families of the study boys and girls had incomes lower than the Thailand poverty line (US $ 1,000/year). There were no significant differences in weight, height or body mass index of boys and girls from each of the three villages. Malnutrition in children were found 85.5% by using weight-for-age, 73% by heightfor- age (stunting) and 48.4% by weight-for-height (wasting). Boys had more total body fat mass than girls.However, all of them had low lean body mass and fat mass. Nearly all children (98%) suffered from either upper respiratory tract infection, skin infection, scabies and/or diarrhoea. Also, nearly all of them (97%) had scaly and dry skin over their chest walls and legs. About 10% of children had either angular stomatitis (5%) or bleeding per gums (3%) or bow legs (1%) or frontal bossing (1%) with their implications for micronutrient deficiency.None of the children from the three villages were infested with the malarial parasite. On average, 54% of children from Mae Hae Tai village and 85% of children from Mae Yot village but only 4% of the children from Mae Raek village were infested with parasites. Ascaris lumbricoides was the most common infestation in all children from three villages.Conclusion: The prevalence of malnutrition was high among the Karen hill tribe children aged 1-6 years, Thailand. Most of the children suffered from upper respiratory tract infection, skin infection, scabiasis and/or diarrhrea. Nearly all of them had scaly and dry skin over their chest walls and legs which indicated essential fatty acid deficiencies. However, only 10% of them had vitamin deficiencies such as B2, C, and D.

並列關鍵字

nutritional status ； body composition ； PEM (Protein Energy Malnutrition) ； micronutrient deficiencies ； health ； illness ； intestinal parasitosis ； Karen ； children ； hill tribes ； Thailand