[Physical growth of children from the Peruvian Amazon born in the eighties].
This paper presents data of physical growth for 673 children under 5 years born in the eighties in Iquitos and Punchana, Peruvian Amazon. The data were based on a clinical and nutritional research survey and a multiple stratified probability sample procedure was used. The statistical analysis were performed on EPI-INFO Version 6.04 and MULTLRM and included: prevalence of z-score under-2 standard deviation, means and standard deviation, ANOVA, t-test, relative risk and odds ratio. The results showed a high prevalence of low height/age (28.3%) and a relatively low for weight/age (12.5%). The final model obtained from the unconditional logistic regression included the following variables as independent factors significantly associated with low height/age: child age (RR = 1.05, CI 95%: 1.03-1.07); maternal education > 5 and < 10 years (RR = 0.48, IC 95%: 0.32-0.73), maternal education > 10 years (RR = 0.11, CI 95%: 0.01-0.89) and hygienic services with latrine (RR = 2.22, CI 95%: 1.46-3.37) and without WC (RR = 4.15, CI 95%: 1.56-10.99). These findings coroborate the influence of ecological factors on the determination of low height/age, and suggest that interventions should be centered on the enlargement of educational coverage and on improvements of hygienic conditions, as for this Peruvian school sample, both variables were defined as potential determinants for the low height/age.
Kac
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Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil.
Velásquez-Meléndez
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D000367:Age Factors; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006128:Growth / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010568:Peru; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors