DECLINING RATE

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 7, 8 July 1935, Page 7

DECLINING RATE

CHILD MALNUTRITION.

MINISTER'S SURVEY . (By Telegraph;— Press Association.) ELTHAM, July 6. Speaking at the opening of new Plunket rooms today, Sir Alexander Young, Minister of Health, combated the suggestion that malnutrition was prevalent among the children of New Zealand, and quoted figures showing a decline since 1929. The. Minister said: "Malnutrition among school children as defined by certain well-recognised medical standards is common to all countries in the world and is not peculiar to the children of any one section of the community. Indeed, ignorance as to feeding and food values resulting in. the use of wrong classes of food in many homes is largely responsible for much of the malnutrition complained of. In order to combat that difficulty I have recently authorised the preparation and printing of a small booklet on the subject for free distribution by the Health Department. It should prove a tremendous help to those who are sincerely interested in the right preparation and food value of meals, especially to families receiving small incomes. • . "The percentage of school children suffering from malnutrition in New Zealand over the past six years is set out inMhe following table: — Year and percentage of total number of

"These figures are strictly .comparable and represent an examination carried out by the same group of medical officers working to exactly the same standards," Sir Alexander said. "It is evident that the incidence of malnutrition has declined, and for 1934 is actually less than for the years preceding the economic depression. A very slight rise noted for the whole group examined in 1934, that is, 5.64 as against 5.48 for the preceding year, is regarded as due to the fact that the proportion of children included from primer classes, which as a general rule show a slightly higher percentage of malnutrition, was greater for 1934 than for 1933. "Information obtained as the results of medical inspection of school children is confirmed by an independent investigation which was carried out in 1934 to determine the physical measurements of our school population. This investigation enables a comparison with the former generation of New Zealand school children and with school children in other parts of the world. The investigation shows that there has been a steady and progressive increase in the average height and weight "of New Zealand elementaryschool children during the last twenty years, and that New Zealand children compare more than favourably with those in other parts of the Empire.. "In view of the fact that 1934 followed on two or three years of economic depression and was itself' distinguished by a series of epidemic diseases, especially measles and influenza, affecting the health of school children to a wide extent, it is satisfactory to find this progress in physical development has been maintained.; "The figures altogether then show that malnutrition is always.present in good times as well as in bad,.but that the position today is much: more favourable than it was in 1929, when the economic position was regarded ag satisfactory^" ..,-.■-'• y'

1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 7.06 6.30 6.68 5.81 5.48 5.64