Estado nutricional en niños de 0 a 60 meses de la provincia de Chimborazo, Ecuador – 2024

Abstract

The nutritional status of children from 0 to 60 months of age is very important, as it has been shown that it continues to be a problem, as in some areas children suffer from wasting, chronic malnutrition, underweight, overweight and obesity, which can affect children’s development. Determine the nutritional status of children aged 0 to 60 months in the province of Chimborazo, Ecuador, based on the standards established by WHO 2007. This study corresponds to an observational, retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional research, in which the research sample was obtained from the database of the National Institute of Statistics and Census, comprising a population of 259 individuals (122 boys and 137 girls). The standards established by the WHO 2007 in relation to height/age, weight/height, weight/age and body mass index were applied. Among the main results of this study, it was determined that there is a high prevalence of overweight and obesity in the child population aged 0 to 60 months with 28.5%, which is higher than the prevalence of chronic malnutrition with 22%, and that overweight and obesity is more prevalent in the rural sector with 32.5% compared to the urban sector with 25%. In conclusion, children aged 0 to 60 months in the province of Chimborazo have a high prevalence of overweight and obesity, as well as a higher prevalence of chronic malnutrition, which gives us to understand that overnutrition in this population is increasingly worrying, on the other hand, chronic malnutrition is still present in the child population, as well as underweight and wasting. Keywords: Nutritional status; Malnutrition; Undernutrition; Overweight and obesity; Wasting.