Prevalencia de dificultades alimentarias y su relación con el estado nutricional en niños de 1- 5 años en los subcentros urbanos del Ministerio de Salud Pública de Cuenca, en el período enero - junio del 2013.

Abstract

A good eating behavior and adequate nutritional status must be fully understood and linked to lifestyles, cultures, interaction between caregivers and children; alteration of one party affects the other, causing food difficulties.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of feeding difficulties in children aged 1-5 years old, their relationship with malnutrition and other factors associated sub-centers in the Ministry of Public Health of Cuenca.

Method and Materials: prevalence study conducted from January to June 2013, with a stratified probability sample, calculated at 6% frequency of feeding difficulties, 95% confidence interval, 3% error and 10% losses. (N = 14 294, n = 274). We interviewed caregivers of children on educational level, family type and with a validated food questionnaire identified difficulty, anthropometric measurements of children were taken to assess nutritional status.

Conclusions: 33.3% have an inadequate nutritional status being the mother who cares for children 81.4% of cases. It was found that food difficulties are important risk factor for developing a poor nutritional status (p ˂ 0.05, OR: 38, CI 9-161) above underweight. An important protective factor for not submitting altered nutritional status of belonging to a nuclear family (OR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.87). There was a statistical relationship between food difficulties and age group (p ˂ 0.05) and protective factor be between 12 and 24 months (RP0.42 CI 0.25 to 0.71). Instruction caregiver is a risk factor for having food difficulties. (p ˂ 0.05, RP 2.03, CI 1.23-3.44).

KEYWORDS: PHENOMENA AND PROCESSES; PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA; NUTRITION PHYSIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA; NUTRITIONAL NEEDS; NUTRITIONAL STATUS; DIET; CUENCA-ECUADOR.