Asse Ssment of the Role of Primary Health Care Services in Improving General Health in Chatrood Village

  SUMMARY The purpose of this study was to assess the role of primary health services in improving general health of children in chat rood villages, Kerman, Iran, by comparing growth and nutritional status of 0-5 year children in 1980 and 1984. Nutritional status was assessed, using anthropometric methods; in 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1984. The results were as follows; 1)between 1980 and 1982, the percentage of malnourishea children, based on Gomez, Waterlow, and Mclarcn and Read classifications, decreased significantly. The date for 1984 showed an increase in the percentage of malnou rishcd children, probably due to the fact that in the summer of that was a measles epidemic. 2)As regarde the percentage of nutritional dwarfs (Less than 90% of height for age), there was a downward trend. The decrease reaching a statistical significance only in 1984. These results indicate that primary health care can be effective in enhancing health and nutritional status of children.