To investigate the prevalence of undernutrition and its associated factors among left-behind and non-left-behind primary and secondary school students in the Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NIPRCES) areas of central and western China, so as to provide evidence for improving the nutritional status of children and adolescents.
A survey was conducted among 123 782 students selected by random cluster sampling method in grades 3-9 from NIPRCES in central (Hebei, Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hunan, Hubei, and Hainan) and western (Gansu, Guangxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Tibet, Shaanxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, Xinjiang, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Yunnan, Qinghai, and Chongqing) China in 2023. Anthropometric measurements and questionnaires were used to assess nutritional and dietary status. The prevalence of undernutrition was compared between left-behind and non-left-behind students by Chi-square test, and associated factors were analyzed by three-level Logistic mixed effects model.
The prevalence of undernutrition was 8.5% (4 326) in left-behind students and 8.1% (5 905) in non-left-behind students. Three-level Logistic mixed-effect model analysis showed that whether left-behind or non-left-behind, the undernutrition rates of primary and secondary students in western regions were higher than those of students in central regions [OR(95%CI)=1.72(1.57-1.87), 2.25(2.07-2.43)]; the undernutrition risk was lower for those whose fathers had a cultural level of high school or above [OR(95%CI)=0.69(0.62-0.77), 0.90(0.82-0.98)] or junior high school [OR(95%CI)=0.72(0.66-0.79), 0.92(0.85-0.99)] compared to those with primary school or below; picky eating or selective eating increased the risk of undernutrition [OR(95%CI)=2.36(2.07-2.68), 2.28(2.04-2.55)], and primary and secondary school students without nutritional content in health education classes had higher rates of undernutrition [OR(95%CI)=1.12(1.03-1.23), 1.09(1.01-1.17)](all P < 0.05).
The prevalence of undernutrition is slightly higher in left-behind primary and secondary students than in non-left-behind primary and secondary students in central and western NIPRCES areas, with variations across different characteristics.
| 科 Family | 属数 Number of genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) | 属 Genus | 种数 Number of species | 占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae | 2 | 11 | 5.26 | 鹅膏菌属 Amanita | 10 | 4.78 |
| 小菇科 Mycenaceae | 2 | 12 | 5.74 | 丝盖伞属 Inocybe | 5 | 2.39 |
| 多孔菌科 Polyporaceae | 8 | 14 | 6.70 | 蜡蘑属 Laccaria | 5 | 2.39 |
| 红菇科 Russulaceae | 3 | 23 | 11.00 | 小皮伞属 Marasmius | 6 | 2.87 |
| 小菇属 Mycena | 11 | 5.26 | ||||
| 光柄菇属 Pluteus | 5 | 2.39 | ||||
| 红菇属 Russula | 17 | 8.13 | ||||
| 栓菌属 Trametes | 5 | 2.39 |