A student is heating steamed rice with boiling water in a school in Fengshan county, one of China's state-level poor counties in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, May 19, 2011. [Photo/Asianewsphoto]

BEIJING -- China has made headway in relieving malnutrition during the 2002-2012 period, according to a population-wide health survey released by the country's health authorities on Tuesday.

The "2015 report on Chinese nutrition and chronic disease" was released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) during a press conference.

It found adult malnutrition was at six percent in 2012, a decrease of 2.5 percentage points from 2002.

Child malnutrition, measured by stunted height and insufficient body mass, was also lower.

Stunted growth was at 3.2 percent among children and adolescents between six and 17 years old, a decrease of 3.1 percentage points since 2002, and emaciation was at 9 percent, a decrease of 4.4 percentage points, according to the report.

Both are considered to be caused by lack of energy and protein.

Anemia, once a prominent nutrition problem for Chinese, also decreased. According to the report, prevalence of anemia among children six years and above was 9.7 percent in 2012, a decrease of 10.4 percentage points from 2002.

However, malnutrition still threatens the growth and development of many children in poor rural areas.

The country has taken various actions to address the problem, including subsidizing nutritious meals for rural students, Chang Jile, an official with the NHFPC, said at the press conference.

It took researchers one and a half years to finish the report, which was based on the latest data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Cancer Center and other institutes.

China had its first public nutrition and health survey in 2002, with results announced in 2004. Since 2004, the nation has carried out field surveys every three years to collect data on causes of death, chronic disease and other health issues.