Resumen

TORRES-CARDENAS, Magaly; PEREZ, Betty; LANDAETA-JIMENEZ, Maritza  y  VASQUEZ-RAMIREZ, Maura. DIETARY INTAKE AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS ACCORDING TO THE SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS IN A CHILDHOOD POPULATION FROM CARACAS. Arch Venez Puer Ped [online]. 2011, vol.74, n.2, pp.002-009. ISSN 0004-0649.

Introduction: The concept of protein calorie malnutrition comprises a shortage of macro and micronutrients intake that influences the growth and development of children, especially when the insufficiency occurs during early childhood. Objectives: The study was conducted in order to analyze according to socioeconomic status, dietary intake, nutritional adequacy and nutritional status. Methods: Sample comprises 270 children with ages 1-3 years (143 boys and 127 girls) classified according to Graffar Méndez- Castellano social methodology; stratum III (17%), IV (61%) and V (22%). Weight and height were analyzed by specific indicators and combined ranking of nutritional status (DCOMB), following WHO values. Food consumption, adequacy and dietetic formula were calculated by means of a 24-hour recall questionary. Results: Combination rank of nutritional status, showed 7% above the norm, 75% normal and 17% nutritional deficit, especially in the younger ones. Results derived from all indicators suggested more vulnerability amongst boys than girls. On the other hand, the dietetic formula highlighted adequate proportion in all the nutrients, although there is a decrease of macro-nutrients as one moved down the social scale. Proteins showed high adequacy and high consumption of vitamin A and calcium was found, but other trace elements as iron and especially zinc showed especially low intake. Overall 25% of the children had protein-calorie malnutrition accompanied by nutritional deficiencies of iron and zinc. Conclusion: A failure of adequate caloric and energy dietary intakes comes along with a low consumption of iron and zinc, which influence negatively the nutritional status in children and causes growth retardation.

Palabras clave : child; malnutrition; deficiency of macro and micronutrients; anthropometrics indicators; socioeconomic strata.