Prevalence of Stunting Underweight and Obesity Among School Aged Children in Public Schools in Emekukwu Upe and Umunan Towns in Imo State

The relationship between nutritional status and academic achievement is complex. Developing countries have a higher dropout rate of primary school pupils than their counter parts in developed countries. This observation has kindled extensive research interest into this relationship. The objective of the study was to establish the factors associated with the nutritional status and academic achievement of pupils in 4public schools in semi-urban and rural communities in Imo State and to investigate the relationship, if any between their nutritional status and academic achievement. All the pupils in the four selected schools were enrolled in the study; they were 370 males and 316 females. Their personal characteristics, age, birth order, maternal occupation, height and weight were obtained. The results show that 26.7% werestunted (< - 2SD). Less than 50% were normal weight for age, and 4.3% were obese (> + 2SD). The differences in stunting, underweight and obesity were not statistically significant by gender (P > 0.05) in all cases. Factors associated with anthropometric parameters were mother’s occupation, age and location of school. BMI for age z-score had a statistically significant relationship with mother’s occupation, location of school and age of pupil (P < 0.05). This study provides evidence of the high levels of stunting and underweight among the school age children investigated. Also there is a low prevalence of obesity co-existing with stunting and underweight in the same population of school children in public schools.