Diagnóstico del estado nutricional y factores de riesgo de desnutrición de la población infantil menor de 5 años urbano y urbano-marginal de los cantones Zamora y Yantzaza

Abstract

Abstract: Malnutrition is a pathology that affects many countries today such as the our developing. GOALS: To evaluate the current general nutritional status in children under 5 years of age in the areas urban and urban-marginal areas of Zamora and Yantzaza and determine the factors of risk that predisposes them to suffer malnutrition in order to establish a line that allows comparison with future studies. METHODS: The research was carried out in the cantons of Zamora and Yanzatza between March and September 2009, surveys and interviews were carried out with the children's guardians as well as such as an anthropometric study and a blood sample collection for quantification of capillary hematocrit. For statistical analysis, Microsoft Excel 2007 and SPSS 7.0 were used. The cut-off points for each indicator were established based on those proposed by the Ministry of Public Health of Ecuador and the WHO. RESULTS: In total, 704 children under 5 years of age were evaluated, of which 13.9% suffered from some type of malnutrition. The most prevalent type of malnutrition was chronic malnutrition with 8.8%, the most frequent form being the mild one with 7.1%. The prevalence of obesity was 4.6% and 19.4% risk of overweight. The highest prevalence of chronic malnutrition is observed in children aged 12 to 23 months and is more common in females. Acute malnutrition was present in 4.0% of the total population, affecting more to the group of children under 12 months. As in chronic malnutrition, sex female is more affected. A higher prevalence of malnutrition was found in the Yanzatza canton.