Nutritional Status of School Children 15 and 16 Years of Age in Three Idaho Communities; Blood Biochemical Tests

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Abstract
Biochemical determinations were made on fasting venous blood samples from 280 school children 15 and 16 years of age in three Idaho communities. The mean value for the girls was significantly higher than for the boys for sedimentation rate and for ascorbic acid, free cholesterol and copper of serum. The mean value for the boys was significantly higher than for the girls for serum alkaline phosphatase, hemoglobin and packed cell volume. The 15-year-old subjects had a mean serum alkaline phosphatase value significantly higher than the older children. The subjects in the northern community had mean serum carotene and copper values significantly lower than the subjects in the two southwestern communities. The blood values of the girls and boys are compared to suggested limits of normal. Highly significant positive correlations were found for both girls and boys between the following comparisons of whole blood and serum constituents: vitamin A and carotene; vitamin A and both free and total cholesterol; carotene and both free and total cholesterol; carotene and ascorbic acid; free and total riboflavin; free and total cholesterol; copper and sedimentation rate; hemoglobin and packed cell volume. In many of the other comparisons, only the data of the boys showed highly significant correlations. Further work is recommended to explain these sex differences.