Body size, body form, and nutritional intake of Black girls age 9 years living in rural and urban regions of eastern North Carolina.

Anthropometric and dietary data were obtained on 78 rural and 66 urban Black girls age 9 years residing in eastern North Carolina. Direct measures were taken of standing height, sitting height, upper limb length, arm girth, calf girth, and body weight. Body form indices were derived for arm girth in percentage of upper limb length, calf girth in percentage of lower limb length, and lower limb length in percentage of sitting height. Intakes of protein and calories were estimated from 24-hour dietary recall protocols. Rural girls, on average, had shorter upper and lower limbs than urban girls. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein intake was met by almost all subjects. More than 60% of both rural and urban girls were below the RDA for calorie intake, and about 40% below the RDA for vitamin A intake.