Abstract

CARMONA-FONSECA, Jaime  and  CORREA B, Adriana M. Social determination of malnutrition and psychomotor retardation in preschool children in Urabá (Colombia). An analysis based on Social Epidemiology. Rev. Fac. Nac. Salud Pública [online]. 2014, vol.32, n.1, pp.40-51. ISSN 0120-386X.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the family home life conditions the nutricional status and child development (CD) of pre-school children from Urabá, and to explain the findings according to health-disease determinants from Social Epidemiology. METHODOLOGY: prevalence survey. The study used 8 different questionnaires concerning living conditions. Anthropometric indicators calculated using Epinut 6.0 were assessed and the Abbreviated Scale Development (asd) was used to evaluate CD. RESULTS:200 families and 46 children were evaluated, ranging in age from 2.5 to 4 years. Living conditions are highly deficient in individual and family processes, as well as group processes (way of life), and all are determined by the existing socio-economic, legal-political and ideological-cultural systems. The risks of malnutrition, evaluated using -1 and -2 standard deviation, were, respectively: chronic (height/age ratio) 76% and 37%; overall (weight/age) 61% and 17%; and acute (weight/height index) 26% and 0%. The frequency of developmental and pathological delays were, respectively: for gross motor skills 17% and 6%; for fine motor skills 50% and 26%; for hearing-language 40% and 34%; and for personal-social development 57% and 6%. There is no cd coefficient associated with chronic malnutrition. High nutritional and developmental deficiencies in children are, naturally, determined by the living conditions of the families and social groups to which these children belong. CONCLUSSION: the results reveal serious and precocious nutritional and psycho motor impairments, which can be explained by the living conditions of this social group. Urgent state intervention is required in order to address and mitigate such a serious collective problem.

Keywords : malnutrition; child development; social conditions; social class; Colombia.

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