What do children’s heights tell us about inequalities in society? Researchers from King’s College London and the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health measured the height and socio-economic status of nearly 5 700 schoolchildren. They found that height may not reveal everything about the impact of inequalities in middle-income countries.

The Gross National Product (GNP) of Trinidad and Tobago was estimated at US$ 4 520 in 1998, but there is a moderate to high level of income inequality. Under-nutrition was an important public health problem in the Caribbean two to three decades ago. But rising standards of living now mean that obesity is a more important concern.

The researchers studied 2 608 boys and girls aged 4-7 years old and 3 080 aged 7-10 years old from 66 government schools. They found that:

• Ethnicity, parental heights, birth weight, maternal age at child’s birth and number of children in the family are associated with children’s height.
• Lack of piped water supply in the home is the only socio-economic factor consistently linked with height.
• There is little evidence of an association between height and overcrowding or parental unemployment.

The link between piped water and height might be related to the risk of repeated infections. Diarrhoea and intestinal worms can affect growth. The authors discuss whether the number of children in a family is a proxy measure of socio-economic level. In this study group, low parental education, lack of piped water and paternal unemployment are more common in families with a large number of children. But generally this link will depend on the cultural characteristics of subsections of society.

The researchers conclude that impact of socio-economic factors on height is marginal in Trinidad and Tobago. Children’s growth may not be a good way to assess the effects of social inequalities in other middle-income countries. They recommend basing this assessment on a broader range of measurements and indicators.

Source(s):
‘Social inequalities and children’s height in Trinidad and Tobago’, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 57: 143-150, by R. Rona, D. Mahabir, B. Rocke, S. Chinn and M. Gulliford, 2003 Full document.

id21 Research Highlight: 10 April 2002

Further Information:
Roberto Rona
Department of Public Health Sciences
Kings College London
Capital House
42 Western Street
London SE1 3QD
UK

Contact the contributor: roberto.rona@kcl.ac.uk

King's College London

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