Risk factors for under- and overweight in school children of a low income area in Kolkata, India.

Background & Aims: Socio-economic and individual lifestyle features associated with the nutritional state were examined in 7-9-year-old children of lower and lower middle-class families living under the international poverty line. Mild and moderate undernutrition was frequent but overweight also occurred.

Methods: Three groups of sex- and age-matched randomly selected children from the Kolkata Child Nutrition Study (data collection between April and November 2001) attending public primary schools of North Kolkata participated (42 children of low body mass index (BMI<12 kg/m(2),=LBMI), 100 children of intermediate BMI (14-16 kg/m(2); IBMI) and 51 children of high BMI (>16 kg/m(2); HBMI).