Nutritional status of the school children in an extremely poor rural area of Ccorca, Peru.INCOS project

Identifier:  imarina:9445232

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9445232

Authors:  Ballonga Paretas, Carla

Abstract:
An insufficient intake contributes to child malnutrition, a common public health problem in some Latin America areas. Our objective is to assess the anthropometric development, the food consumption, the nutritional intake and its school children adequacy, according to age and gender, in anextremely poor rural area in the Peruvian Andes where governmental food assistance programs were given. Descriptive study based on 171 school children about 8,9 +/- 1,67years, 51,5% males. Anthropometrics characteristics are valuated through IBM/age Z-Score. Food consumption is assessed by semi structured interview frequency of food consumption anda 24-hour diet recall method. The nutritional intake is estimated with the Peruvian and French food composition tables. The adequacy nutritional intake is calculated by the inadequate intake probability (IIP). Evidences are about 4,7% of thinness, 8,8% overweight and 0,6% obesity. The food consumption and the nutritional intake are similar among gender and age groups (6-9 years old and 10-12 years old). There is an acceptable macronutrients distribution range. The IIP energy and most nutrients are significantly greater in the 10-12 group than in the 6-9 group. A deficient intake of vitamin A, D, C, B3, folate is observed in both groups and in Calcium, iron, vitamin E and B1 in the 10-12 group. In conclusion, students have an adequate weight for their height and age, maybe due to the state program of food aid. Nevertheless, there remains weak consumption of fruit and vegetables that is reflected in the nutritional risk of some vitamins and minerals, which is higher in the 10-12 years old group due their greater nutritional requirements.