Prevalencia de desnutrición en menores de 5 años. Centro Salud Lasso, junio – diciembre 2018

Abstract

The objective of this research work is to demonstrate the prevalence of malnutrition in children under five years of age treated in the Lasso type “C” Health Center, belonging to the Latacunga canton, along the period June – December 2018. The study is descriptive, cross-sectional retrospective, had a population of 4555 children from which a sample of 384 children with a diagnosis of malnutrition was obtained. The data were obtained from the registration and health care platform (RHCP), then a statistical base was elaborated in Excel, to finally represent the results in tables and graphs, obtaining a prevalence of malnutrition of 8.43% in the studied population, from which 32.29% suffer acute malnutrition and 67.71% chronic malnutrition considering the sample. The age range with the highest prevalence is between two and three years-old-children with 39.52% acute malnutrition and 39.6% chronic malnutrition; the male sex was the most affected reaching a 66% for low weight and 58% in relation to short height for the age; in addition, the predominance of malnutrition in mestizos represents 98%. Pastocalle is the rural parish with the highest degree of malnutrition; besides, it was found that the children who attend to the Child –Development Centers have a 66% of chronic malnutrition, and that the follow-up given by the health center to the these cases is the indicated one. It is concluded that for every 1000 children 84 suffer any type of malnutrition; it is recommended that nutritional and educational programs should be created according to the reality of the country, making aware the government to achieve inter-sectoral work among the ministries involved in the care of children which have in common the same objective, to eradicate malnutrition.