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Maternal and childhood nutrition among Aborigines of the Kimberley region
Author(s) -
Gracey Michael,
Bottrell Cheryl,
Spargo Randolph M.,
Hammond Kate,
Mulholland Kathleen,
Valentine Jane
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1984.tb132904.x
Subject(s) - child bearing , anthropometry , malnutrition , overweight , medicine , demography , quarter (canadian coin) , pediatrics , cross sectional study , environmental health , obesity , population , geography , archaeology , pathology , sociology
A cross‐sectional anthropometric survey of 128 Aboriginal children under five years of age and of 388 Aboriginal girls and women of child‐bearing age was undertaken in seven communities in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia. More than 20% of the children were undernourished, three individuals severely so. All but one of those who were undernourished were over 12 months of age. Less than 60% of the female subjects of child‐bearing age had a satisfactory nutritional status; one‐sixth were undernourished and one‐quarter, mostly older women, were overweight. The findings indicate that poor nutrition is widespread among Aboriginal female subjects of child‐bearing age. Maternal malnutrition may contribute significantly to unsatisfactory nutrition and health in Aboriginal infants and young children.