['Nutrition status of preschool children in Azezo, North West Ethiopia, and Ethiopian-born and native Israeli children aged 7 to 11 y and 12 to 15 y was studied. The aim of the study was to determine the growth patterns of immigrant children after changes in their nutritional habits.', 'The Ethiopian-born and native school children were recruited from a caravan-dwelling site and a boarding school and from a town adjacent to the caravan site and a boarding school, respectively.', 'Weight for age was lower than -2 standard deviations of the Z score in 40.5%, 55.6%, 31.9%, and 61% of children aged 1 to 24, 25 to 36, 37 to 48, and 49 to 60 mo, respectively. Similarly, 18.9%, 59.3%, 39.1%, and 19.5% of children aged 1 to 24, 25 to 36, 37 to 48, and 49 to 60 mo had a height for age lower than -2 standard deviations of the Z score. The Ethiopian-born boys aged 7 to 11 y had lower body weight (P < 0.03), mean arm muscle circumference, plasma transthyretin and magnesium (P < 0.0001), and higher triceps skinfold thickness (P < 0.01) compared with the controls. Similarly, the Ethiopian-born girls had lower body weight (P < 0.006), weight-to-height ratio (P < 0.02), mean arm muscle circumference and plasma transthyretin, calcium, and magnesium (P < 0.0001), and higher triceps skinfold thickness (P < 0.0001) than their Israeli counterparts. Weight, weight-to-height ratio, mean arm muscle circumference, plasma calcium and magnesium (P < 0.0001), and transthyretin (P < 0.01) were lower and triceps skinfold thickness (P < 0.0001) was higher in the Ethiopian-born boarding school children than in the native Israelis of the same age range.'] Do ethiopian-born and native Israeli school children have different growth patterns?