The Nutritional Status of Papago Indian Children

Abstract

The data obtained from a nutritional survey on 115 Papago Indian children show that children receiving an ample school lunch are better nourished than those receiving a limited school lunch as judged by certain indices generally held to reflect nutritional status. The blood of the children receiving the limited lunch was lower in total vitamin A and ascorbic acid than the blood of the children receiving the ample lunch. Also, a higher percentage of the former showed symptoms usually associated with vitamin A and ascorbic acid deficiencies than did the latter group. Likewise, girls from the limited school lunch group showed poorer bone calcification than those receiving the good lunch. No significant difference between the two groups of children was found for height or weight or age, values for hemoglobin, red cell count or white cell count, volume of packed cells, sedimentation rate or serum riboflavin, cholesterol, glucose or protein.