Prevalence of Stunted Growth among Primary School Children in Egypt

Stunting is an important pediatric problem; it might be the first presentation of underline disease. School age is specific period where’s children undergo rapidly development. So monitoring of the growth among school children with Z score should be mandatory in all schools. Methods: A cross sectional survey was done on students aged (6-11 years) at Egypt. The children were assessed for stunting by clinical examination and anthropometric assessment by Z scores, during April-December 2018. Results: 32170 children were studied. Prevalence of stunting was 15.3%. Boys more stunted (16.7%) compared to girls (13.7%), urban more than rural and average socioeconomic standard. Stunting was lower among (9-10) years while the reverse in (6- 8) years. Conclusion and recommendation: Stunting was 15.3% higher among male, urban and (6- 8 years) aged. School intervention programs can reduce the stunting problems by early pickup and intervention.