[Nutritional status of indigenous children aged up to six years in the Embera-Katio Indian reserve in Tierralta, Cordoba, Colombia].
BACKGROUND
Knowledge of the nutritional state of the children is an valuable indicator of the general state of development in an entire population.


OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of malnutrition was determined in Embera-Katio's indigenous children, aged 0-6 years, and associated factors associated with malnutrition were identified.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study was undertaken in the Resguardo Embera-Katío, in Tierralta in the Province of Cordoba, located in northern Colombia. The weight, height and cephalic perimeter was assessed for each of 272 children under six years of age. Nutritional paramterers were surveyed in 194 homes; fecal samples of 172 children were examined for evidence of intestinal parasites.


RESULTS
Prevalence of moderate and severe chronic malnutrition was found in 63.6% of the children's; 8.8% were categorized with slight and moderate acute malnutrition. Chronic malnutrition was associated with age increase (p=0.005) and was greater in males than in females (89.9% versus 80.4%; p=0.028). Chronic malnutrition was greater in children with acute respiratory infection, acute diarrheas, and in homes with three or more children below the age of five. In 74% of the children, the cephalic perimeter was below the fifth percentile. After weaning, the children were fed a basic diet of rice and corn (80.4%) and plantain (80.9%). Only 28.9% ate meat, 4.6% eggs, 4.1% milk and 1.5% fruits and vegetables. The prevalence of intestinal parasitism was 78.1%.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of chronic malnutrition in the Embera-Katio children was high, reflecting the adverse nutritional and economic conditions in which they live.
Restrepo
Berta Nelly
BN
Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical-Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud-CES, Sabaneta, Antioquia, Colombia. brestrepo@ces.edu.co
Restrepo
María Teresa
MT
Beltrán
Juan Camilo
JC
Rodríguez
Mónica
M
Ramírez
Ruth Emilia
RE
D000886:Anthropometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003105:Colombia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D012307:Risk Factors