Case Studies on the Nutritional Status of Socially Deprived Children in Sydney

Abstract

SYNOPSIS The nutritional status of 35 socially deprived, apparently healthy children was investigated. The study included 6 preschool boys of widows or deserted wives, and 29 children from 3 orphanages, viz.: 8 school boys, 8 preschool girls (4 of whom were part‐Aboriginal) and 13 school girls. Individual data on weighed and analysed dietary intakes from a 7‐day survey, anthropometry, haematology, blood vitamin levels, clinical and social findings are presented and interrelationships are discussed. No clinical evidence of overt deficiency diseases was found, but malnutrition was demonstrated in the groups studied. Only 2 children had satisfactory levels of all parameters measured. These results cannot necessarily be extrapolated into conclusions as to the nutritional status of socially deprived Australian children as a group in the community because the sample was small. While the number of malnourished children to be found in the Australian population cannot be deduced from the data presented in this paper, it is hoped that it will stimulate interest in the investigation of nutrition in large numbers of Australian children.