Prevalencia de la desnutrición infantil de 0 a 5 años: Una revisión sistemática.

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of undernutrition in children aged 0 to 5 years is fundamental to understand the magnitude of the global public health problem, especially in low-income and developing countries, Ecuador stands out with significant rates of chronic (25.2%) and acute (8.3%) undernutrition. Objective: To identify the existing scientific evidence on the prevalence of child undernutrition in children aged 0 to 5 years. Methodology: An exhaustive search was carried out in databases such as Scielo, PubMed, Google Scholar, Medline, SCOPUS and the UCACUE library, applying specific inclusion criteria, 30 relevant studies were selected for the review. The information collected was systematically structured to facilitate the analysis and synthesis of the results obtained. Results: The prevalence of child undernutrition varies in different countries, with high rates in places such as Cuba (65%), Paraguay (64.9%), Palestine and Africa (49.1%), likewise, Ecuador has chronic undernutrition (25.2%) and acute undernutrition (8.3%), being more common in children from rural areas. Conclusion: Worldwide, the prevalence of child malnutrition in children aged 0 to 5 years reveals variability. In Ecuador, the highest prevalence is observed in the highlands region with 32%, followed by the Amazon region with 22.7%, in contrast, the coastal region has a prevalence of 15.7%, and the insular region shows a low incidence of this disease, with 5.8%. Key words: child malnutrition, prevalence, children aged 0 to 5 years, childhood.