Nutrition surveillance in Arizona: selected anthropometric and laboratory observations among Mexican-American children.

A nutrition surveillance system in public health clinics is providing data for patient care and program planning. Through this system, Arizona's Mexican-American population has been shown to differ from other ethnic groups seen in clinic. Anemia and low height-for-age are significant problems in the Mexican-American population. Over-nutrition, in the form of overweight and high cholesterol, is also a problem among the Mexican-American clinic population.