Abstract

The nutrition status of pre-adolescent children influences their health, cognitive skills and academic performance. This study was aim to compare age, gender specific weight, height and growth chart percentile and nutritional status corresponding to the international growth references among pre-adolescent children of Pakistan. A population-based study was conduct with a sample of 40 students added four to eleven years in International School of Cordoba, Islamabad, Pakistan. Age, height, weight and growth chart percentile were obtained and compared with Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National center of Health Statistics (NCHS). Stunted, wasted, over and under nutrition were define according to Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National center of Health Statistics (NCHS). Weight, height and growth chart percentile increased with age in both sexes. Both had approximately same weight for age and height and an increased height for age as compared to Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National center of Health Statistics (NCHS) references. Compared to the references, 95% students had normal weight for their age, 5% were over and underweight. 85.7% had normal weight for their height with 2.5% above 97th percentile and 10% being wasted. 60% students had normal height for their reference age with 37.5% above 97% percentile and 2.5% being stunted. This concludes most of the students fell in the normal categories showing good nutrition status with better IQ, shown by their active participation in activities performed.