Nutritional condition or five-year-old minor children in the colombian caribbean

Abstract

Background: This article deals with aspects related to the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age in an IPS in the municipality of Soledad, Atlántico. Anthropometric indicators are very useful for assessing the health and nutritional status of children, allowing indirect measurement of the quality of life of a population and the nutritional diagnosis of the child. The objective is to determine the anthropometric indexes related to nutritional status in children under 5 years of age in Soledad, Atlántico.

Methods: Cross-sectional quantitative and descriptive research. The sample consisted of 140 children under 5 years of age attending the nutritional recovery program, who were evaluated for nutritional status through the reference standard and cut-off points for the anthropometric classification of nutritional status. Discussion: The results obtained from this research show that 56% of the population are girls, of whom 59% are at risk of global malnutrition, with children under 2 years being the most affected (35%), 36% in global malnutrition; in boys, 43% are at risk of global malnutrition, with 24% being younger than 2 years.

Conclusion: Evaluating the growth of children through anthropometry is an indicator that summarizes several conditions related to health and nutrition, and reflect the problem that is affecting the health of this population, so good nutrition can fundamentally change the lives of children, improve their physical and mental development and protect their health.