Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences1028-88801812-5735Asian Network for Scientific Information10.3923/pjbs.2012.347.352ZavoshyR. NorooziM. JahanihashemiH. KiamiriD. 72012157Malnutrition is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity in children. Not only include acute effects on children's health, but also it has long-term effects on their cognitive development and economic growth in the society. Wasting (weight for height with Z<-1) is one of the malnutrition indices in children. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a cooked meal for 175 days on the anthropometric indices of weight, height and weight for height (wasting) of 3-6 years old children in all the rural nursery of Qazvin province, in Iran. In this interventional study, 2385 children (48.8% female and 51.2% male) were recruited. Data were collected by a census in 2010. The children were received a cooked meal based on 360±20 kcal energy, 17% protein, 53% carbohydrate and 30% fat per day for 175 days at lunch time. The anthropometric indices were collected before and after the intervention. The results were analyzed using paired t-test by SPSS V.16 software. Prevalence of wasting (mild and moderate) and (sever malnutrition) after intervention reduced from 14.2 and 0.95-12.6 and 0.5%, respectively (p<0.05). Receiving a cooked meal significantly decreased wasting (15.2-13.2%) in all children (p<0.05). Nutritional intervention with cooked meal for 175 days had significant reduction in wasting in all children.]]>Bhargava, A., S.D. Gupta, D.K. Mangal, S. Joshi and T.P. Jain,198249695699Bisai, S. and C. Mallick,201173136Corvalan, C., A.D. Dangour and R. Uauy,200893361362De Onis, M., C. Garza, A.W. Onyango and E. Borghi,2007137144148De Onis, M. and M. Blossner,200332518526El Mouzan, M.I., P.J. Foster, A.S. Al Herbish, A.A. Al Salloum, A.A. Al Omar and M.M. Qurachi,201030381385Ergin, F., P. Okyay, G. Atasoylu and E. Beser,200749283289Hall, J.G., U.G. Froster-Iskenius and J.E. Allanson,2007pp: 240-242pp: 240-242Isanaka, S., T. Roederer, A. Djibo, F.J. Luquero, N. Nombela, P.J. Guerin and R.F. Grais,2010126e442e450Rayhan, M.I. and M.S.H. Khan,20065558562Khattak, M.M.A.K. and S. Ali,2010103439Kliegman, R.,200818th Edn.,pp: 900-943pp: 900-943Kuczmarski, R.J., C.L. Ogden, L.M. Grummer-Strawn, K.M. Flegal and S.S. Guo et al.,2000314127WHO,20052005Malekafzali, H., Z. Abdollahi, A. Mafi and M. Naghavi,20006238245Mei, Z., C.L. Ogden, K.M. Flegal and L.M. Grummer-Strawn,2008153622624Mei, Z., L.M. Grummer-Strawn, A. Pietrobelli, A. Goulding, M.I. Goran and W.H. Dietz,200275978985Nemati, A., M. Barak, A.N. Baghi, N. Abbasgholizadeh and F. Homapour et al.,2008837483752Picot, J., D. Hartwell, P. Harris, D. Mendes, A. Clegg and A. Takeda,2012161316Rezaeian, M., G. Hassanshahi, Z. Salem, A. Shamsaee, A. Tourousian, R. Hazare and S.Z. Tabatabai,200912726729Senbanjo, I.O., O.O. Adeodu and E.A. Adjuyigbe,200737214216Singh, M.B., R. Fotedar, J. Lakshminarayana and P.K. Anand,20069961967Sheikholeslam, R., M. Kimiagar, F. Siasi, A. Abdollahi and A. Jazayeri et al.,200410844852Veghari, G. and M. Jahanshahi,2007714241429Walker, R.,200712013761379Waterlow, J.C.,19733028789WHO.,20064507685WHO,20062006Olsen, I.E., M.R. Mascarenhas and V.A. Stallings,20032003pp: 6-20pp: 6-20