Table 1.
Socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics of primary school children in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| Characteristic | Mean ± SD or N (%) |
|---|---|
| Age (years) | 11.1 ± 2.0 |
| Age category | |
| ≤ 10 years | 138 (30.9) |
| > 10 years | 308 (69.1) |
| Gender | |
| Boys | 209 (46.9) |
| Girls | 237 (53.1) |
| Place of residence | |
| Rural | 197 (44.2) |
| Urban | 249 (55.8) |
| Body mass (kg) | 34.1 ± 11.8 |
| Height (cm) | 142.1 ± 13.3 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 16.6 ± 4.0 |
| BMI-defined categories | |
| Underweight | 65 (14.6) |
| Normal | 314 (70.4) |
| Overweight | 44 (9.8) |
| Obese | 23 (5.2) |
| SBP (mmHg) | 103.9 ± 10.3 |
| DBP (mmHg) | 65.6 ± 8.2 |
| Blood pressure categories | |
| Normal BP | 376 (84.3) |
| Pre-hypertension | 22 (4.9) |
| Stage 1 hypertension | 39 (8.8) |
| Stage 2 hypertension | 9 (2.0) |
| Elevated blood pressure | |
| Yes | 68 (15.2) |
| No | 398 (84.8) |
| Hypertension | |
| Yes | 48 (10.8) |
| No | 378 (89.2) |
| Number of adults in the family (≥18 years) | |
| Less than 6 adults | 187 (41.9) |
| 6 and above adults | 259 (58.1) |
| Number of children in the family (< 18 years) | |
| Less than 3 children | 201 (45.1) |
| 3 and above children | 245 (54.9) |
| Pocket money to spend at school | |
| ≤ 500 Tanzanian shillings | 315 (70.6) |
| > 500 Tanzanian shillings | 131 (29.4) |
BMI Body Mass Index, DBP Diastolic Blood Pressure, SBP Systolic Blood Pressure, SD Standard Deviation