Analysis of the nutritional status of children of preschool and school age living in organizations for orphans and children left without parental care

Background. Children staying in institutions for orphans and children left without parental care are at risk for nutritional disorders and need regular monitoring of their nutritional status. Objective. Evaluation of the nutritional status of children living in organizations for orphans of various profiles. Methods. The study included 734 children living in 28 organizations for orphans in five regions of the Russian Federation: Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, Irkutsk regions, the Republic of Mordovia and the federal city of Sevastopol. Among the examined children, 342 children stayed in institutions of a general type (I group); 392 children - in specialized institutions for children with health problems (Group II). Questionnaire-survey, clinical and statistical research methods were used in the study. Results. An analysis of the food rations in institutions showed their compliance with the established requirements (Sanitary Rules and Regulations 2.3/2.4.3590-20). An analysis of the prevalence of chronic diseases in orphans and children left without parental care indicated a high proportion of pathologies accompanied by malnutrition. The leading pathologies in group I included mental disorders (23.4%), diseases of the digestive system (10%), food intolerance (6%), chronic infections (4%); in group II - mental illnesses (81%), diseases of the nervous system (37%); chromosomal abnormalities (19.6%) and congenital malformations (11.7%). According to the BMI Z-score criterion, malnutrition was determined in 1.8% of cases, the risk of malnutrition - in 16.7%, growth retardation - in 5% of children of group I. In group II, malnutrition was registered in 20.1% of children, the risk of malnutrition - in 23.7%, growth retardation - in 33.4% of the residents. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in group I was 14.9 and 4.1%, and in group II - 5.6 and 3.1%, respectively. Conclusion. Thus, children living in institutions for orphans are at risk for the formation of nutritional status disorders, mainly malnutrition, and require a differentiated approach to organizing and monitoring their nutrition.

nutritional status, malnutrition, alimentary-dependent diseases, orphans, social institutions