Factores de protección de la estatura en escolares rurales de alta vulnerabilidad social

We hereby complement our research with regard to the height of school children in Chile. This report, is framed within the concept of positive deviations of growth in length. The subjects under study were students from first and second grades from rural communities of high socioeconomic vulnerability. Children whose height was above 0.5 z score were defined as cases one those whose height was witfvn ± 0.5 z score of the NCHS/OMS standard as controls. One hundred and sixty one pairs were studied, collecting information about their parent's stature, quality o" child care, pks socioeconomic, demographic and biologic factors. Multivariate analysis by conditional logistic regression showed hat factors best related to higher stature were the number of antenatal care visits to health facilities by mother [OR = 3.61), the quality of family care to children (OR = 2.42] and mother's height (borderline significance). Two factors associated to optimal growth were thus identified: mother's concern on her own health and adecuacy of child care by the family. These factors should be encouraged when the goal is an optimal growth of children.