Obesity in asylum seekers' children in The Netherlands -- the use of national reference charts

Background : Growth assessment can be used to monitor health at individual and population level. For asylum seekers’ children with different geographic backgrounds, growth reference values are frequently not available. We assessed nutritional condition and growth of asylum seekers’ children upon arrival and follow-up in The Netherlands, using national growth charts, and related these parameters to geographic origin. Methods: Height and weight of 135 children originating from Africa ( n = 47), Central Asia ( n = 41), and Eastern Europe ( n = 47), were assessed longitudinally (median follow-up 3... Mehr ...