Nutrition Status Survey of the Sixth Grade School Population of Cuba

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
A study of the nutritional status of the population of Cuba was made by examining 2171 6th grade school children in all parts of the island, selected so as to constitute a representative sample of this age group. The entire group received clinical examination with about one in 6 being subjected to biochemical examination for hemoglobin, hematocrit, protein, vitamin A, carotene, ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, N-methyl nicotinamide and pyridoxine phosphate. From the clinical and biochemical findings, it is concluded that deficiencies of protein, vitamin A and ascorbic acid are practically non-existent in Cuba. Only 4.0% of the population exhibited hemoglobin levels under 11 gm/100 ml of blood which indicates that iron, folic acid or vitamin B12 deficiencies are of minor significance on the island. Underweight occurs in 43.7% of the public school children and in 10.4% of the private school children. Since the private school children probably represent the irreducible minimum of underweight in a population group having adequate food supply, the proportion underweight in this group would seem to indicate that about a third of the public school group is not receiving sufficient nutrients to maintain normal weight. Riboflavin deficiency, expressing itself as either active anangular stomatitis or nasolabial seborrhea, is the most common clinically manifest specific nutrient deficiency on the island, occurring in a 5th to a third of the children. This high prevalence of clinical riboflavin deficiency is supported by the low excretion of riboflavin in the urine. Although there is a high prevalence of subclinical thiamine and niacin deficiency in Cuba, as measured by urinary excretion, there is no clinical evidence of either beriberi or pellagra. With these dangerously high levels of subclinical thiamine and niacin deficiency and the high prevalence of riboflavin deficiency, it appears that vitamin enrichment of a staple article of food such as rice would be an extremely valuable contribution to the public health.