NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN IN HOKKAIDO ORPHANAGES

Abstract

A nutritional survey of Hokkaido orphanage children in 1960 was reported by MITCHELL and SANTO (1). Subsequently heights and weights for each sex and age group between the ages of 3 and 15 (mostly the same subjects) were reported for the years 1959 to 1964 in 1964 (2). The results of the 1960 survey showed that orphanage children tended to be shorter and lighter than the national or Hokkaido averages for each age group. The food patterns in the 22 orphanages showed that the total protein, vitamin A, riboflavin and ascorbic acid were below 75 per cent of the recommended allowances in several of the institutions. It appeared from the fact that the animal protein was less than 30 per cent of the total protein in half of the institutions that this was probably the most serious nutritional limitation. Now since the food budgets have been increased annually and since the authorities concerned have been giving more attention to the food for the children, the circumstances seemed to warrant a second survey in 1965. The results of this second survey are reported here in comparison with the 1960 data. The comparative results may be of use for other nutrition guidance and extension teaching. Institutions on limited budgets such as orphanages are not always able to provide optimum nutrition, but if the nutritional status of the children can be improved by careful planning, these children are good subjects for helping to understand what environmental factors may have been responsible for the delayed growth of Japanese youth during the war and for the remarkable increases in stature in recent years. The orphanages are convenient for study because data on their food consumption along with figures on height and weight can be obtained more easily than data on children living in their own homes.