Growth indicators and related factors in children under 6 years in Shiraz city in 2008

Growth curve is a simple and inexpensive means used for evaluation of children’s health and nutrition, and growth. There was an attempt in this study to find the relationship between children’s growth and the factors affecting it using growth curves. Materials and Methods: This study was analytical. According to other studies and the prevalence of 54% of children under the fiftieth percentile, the sample size was determined 385and the children were below 6 years of age. Chi-square test was used to examine the existence of an index such as malnutrition and its relationship with maternal milk, formula and other factors. Growth and its relation to other factors were determined by the Linear Mixed Model. Results: This study revealed that 63.6% of children who were breastfed had educated fathers, while 38.6% of those who were breastfed had fathers with primary education. This difference was statistically significant. 62.1% of mothers with primary and 39.8% with university education breastfed their baby; the difference was also statistically significant. Maternal job was significantly associated with birth weight (P<0.01). The process of child’s weight gain showed no correlation with nutritional status whereas it showed a relationship with weaning. So, the children were weaned earlier had a lower rate of weight gain. Conclusion: This study showed that parental education and awareness play an important role in children's growth. Although there was no relationship between weaning and the parents’ education, both factors were separately influential on the growth of the children. The mothers’ education was especially important in this regard.