THE PROCESS OF CHANGES IN ANTHROPOMETRIC INDICES IN CHILDREN UNDER 24 MONTHS BASED ON GENDER DIFFERENCES IN KOHGILUYEH AND BOYER AHMAD PROVINCE, SOUTHWEST IRAN 2015: AN INCIDENTAL PHENOMENON OR A GENDER INEQUALITY

Background and Aim: An assessment of the process of changes in growth indices of children provide the required information of the child s growth pattern, and gender differences as a sensitive indicator of gender discrimination. The aim of the current study was to compare the growth patterns of boys and girls children under two years old.Methods: Materials and Methods: Through a secondary analysis, the health files of 1336 children under 2 years old (700 boys and 636 girls) in the maternal and child health care system in Kohkiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province in 2015 were analyzed in terms of the nutritional status and in view of underweight, wasting and stunting based on WHO standardization indicators.Results: The average difference of weight, height and head circumference of male and female children at birth were 67 g, 0.36 and 0.37 cm respectively. Although average weight, height, and head circumference z-score did not show a significant difference in the course of two-year period among boys and girls, the percentage ratio of boys as compared to girls in underweight at birth, six months, one year and two years old were respectively 0.98, 1.7, 12.4 and 1.5, for wasting 2.4, 1.73, 2.9 and 1.9, and for stunting 1.3, 1.48, 1.4 and 1.6.Conclusion: The average weight, height, and head circumference indices were better in boys as compared to girls, but over a two-year period, the prevalence of underweight, wasting and stunting was higher in boys than in girls, and this is a remarkable point against the existing expectations.

کلیدواژه ها:

Anthropometric Indices ، Children under 2 years ، Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad Province ، Gender Justice