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Anthropometric nutritional status of children under 5 years of the inter-Andean region of Ecuador

Abstract:

Background: The nutritional status of children under 5 years old is crucial for an appropriate physical and cognitive development. The aim of this research was to evaluate the anthropometric nutritional status of girls and boys under five years old of the inter-Andean region of Ecuador. Methods: An observational, retrospective, cross-sectional study was developed, data was collected from 80,127 children under 5 years old who are treated in the Operational Health Units of all the provinces of the inter-Andean region of Ecuador; anthropometric and personal identification data was collected from them. Results: Boys and girls with low height were found in a 25.4%, being higher in boys (27.34%) than in girls (23.33%), presenting the highest prevalence in Chimborazo province and in the ages between 12 to 23 months. Problems like overweight and obesity were also found in 5.8%, being higher in boys (6.53%) than in girls (5.13%), with the highest prevalence in Imbabura province (8.57%). Conclusions: The low height in children is an important problem for public health. Moreover, problems of overweight and obesity coexist with increasing trend in the studied population.