PEOPLE'S HEALTH

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 124, 29 May 1933, Page 8

PEOPLE'S HEALTH

EFFECT OF DEPRESSION

FALL IN DEATH-RATE

WHAT FIGURES SHOW

A Press Association message telegraphed from Christehurch on Friday, May 19, stating that the Minister of Health (the Hon. J. A. Young), said that "Statistics compiled by the Government health authorities show that there is no evidences of malnutrition among school children in New Zealand," is taken exception to by Mr. Young, who states emphatically that he made no such statement. Mr. Young says lie would have lot it pass, but unfortunately, without causfe an his part, ho is being assailed outsido of Christchurch, from all parts of tho Dominion, with having made what he says is obviously an incorrect statement. He adda that his attention was not \ drawn to tho Press telegram ui*til lato in the week when complaints began to roach him. From tho report as published in the Christchurch "Press" the | following extract sets out the Minister's words:— Records have been taken at various schools throughout the country, and it was quite clear that there was no undue prevalence of malnutrition. There was no doubt there -were many children suffering from shortage of food who could do with more nourishing, food. The Minister says that at the time of speaking at Christchurch tho latest official information in-his possession was that the returns forwarded by school medical officers for the last eight years show little variation in the percentage of subnormal nutrition noted. The Director of School Hygiene, Dr. Ada Paterson, reports::—"School medical officers 'consider that while there is little or no increased malnutrition among country children, there is undoubtedly a group of .. city children which is showing definite evidence of malnutrition. Considering the Dominion as a whole there is no ovident increase in the percentage of school children suffering from malnutrition." NUTRITION OF CHILDREN. . With reference to children entering school during tho past six years (primer children), and showing malnutrition, the percentage figures arc as follows:— 8.26 for 1932; with 7.45 for 1931,• with 8.01 for 1930; with,.8.24 for 1929; with 8.67 for 1928; and 8.39 for 1926 (1927 not available). Over the 60,000 to 70,000 school children of all ages examined anifually, the percentages work out somewhat lower. The Minister' states that, from the opinions of the school medical officers in various districts' the following are some of the facts elucidated:— (1) Generally speaking, over the . Dominion as a whole, there is no evident increase in the percentage of school children suffering from malnutrition. (2) There is no increase of malnutrition in country districts, where food is readily available and any necessitous case can be readily dealt with locally. (3) Most school medical officers state that in the cities a small. pro- . portion of children, belonging especially to kindergarten and primer class age groups, show clinical signs of malnutrition: , Food is poor in quality rather than quantity; deficient in vitamins, first-class protein, and in fat—milk, fresh eggs, butter, fresh vegetables, and meat are lacking. . . ' .' Eecords of the School Medical Service since its inception show that at all times there is a. considerable body of school children who stow evidences of faulty or under-nutrition. The Health Camps were developed to deal with this group of children, the pioneer camp being that of Dr. Elizabeth Gunn, first established iii 1921,' long before the present economic crisis was even anticipated. Similar excellent work of this character is today being continued by tho various voluntary organisations conducting children's health camps throughout the Dominion, If vital statistics afford a trno indication of the health of the commmiity, and thero is every_ reason to believe they do, then it can certainly be said that the economic crisis so far, at.any rate, lias had no detrimental effects on the state of the public health. This is shown by the following tables:— : • A. Death Bates per 1000 of Mean Population. : Year. • Kate. 1028 ~..." 8.49 3029 ■ 5.75 ]i)aO 8.56 1931 8.34 . 1932 8.02 Thus the death rate has remained consistently low throughout the period of depression, and, indeed, for 1932 has reached the lowest level on record. FALL IN DEATH-RATE. The fall in the death-rate during recent years has, been common to all ages under sixty-five. The infantile mortality.. - rate per 1000 live births shows a steady decline •for years past, aiid last year (1932) it was '31.22—a record low rate for New Zealand. ' The toll on human Hfo of tuberculosis of the respiratory system shows a progressive and marked fall in rate sines 1928, when it was 4.09 per 10,000 of population; 1929, 3.72; in 1930, 3.71; in 1931, 3.47; and in 1932, 3.35. The puerperal mortality rate shows a definite improvement. In 1930 it was 5.08* per 1000 live births; in 1931 it was 4.77, and in 1932, 4.06. ; The records of our public hospitals show a^ definite decline in the proportion of the community . seeking inpatient treatment, the figures being as follows:—The proportion per 1000 of population in 1928-29 was 60.20; 1929----30 was 60.75; 1930-31 was 59.52; and in 1931-32 it was 56.06. To sum, up, it can be definitely stated:— (1) Measured by mortality and morbidity rates the economic crisis has n6t yet shown any detrimental effect on the public health. (2) There has been no definite increase in the proportion of inpatients treated in public hospitals. (3) On the whole the nutrition of New Zealand school children has boon well maintained, although there is some evidence that a group of city children is showing clinical signs of malnutrition duo lto the economic position, . , ■■' ENGLISH EXPERIENCE. The feeling generally is that, in view of the distress arising from unomploy ment, there1 should be a definite inereaso in the amount of juvenile malnutrition, states the Minister. This problem is exercising the Ministry of Health in England, and Sir George Newman, the Principal Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health in Great Britain, makes the following statement under date of October, 1932:— "I may draw attention to the relatively satisfactory condition of the nutrition of the school children in spite of the widespread uneinploment, in industry. It is sometimes said that -malnutrition is increasing." There is no evidence of this as yet among the children. It is true that the data in this report are concerned with the year 1931, but recent inquiry^ has confirmed their