Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology , Iodine/deficiency , Iron/deficiency , Deficiency Diseases/epidemiology , Mexico , Prevalence , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Objetivo. Estimar la prevalencia de deficiencia de hierro, yodo y parasitosis en niños que asisten al Instituto Alteño para el Desarrollo de Jalisco (Inadej), Arandas, Jalisco, México. Material y métodos. Estudio transversal efectuado entre 1997 y 1999 con 432 niños de 12 a 120 meses de edad, de nuevo ingreso al Inadej. Se determinaron variables hematológicas, yodo en orina y presencia de parásitos. Se utilizaron las pruebas Ji cuadrada y t de Student en variables no paramétricas y paramétricas. Resultados. Hubo más anemia (20 vs 7.4 por ciento p=0.007) y deficiencia de hierro (60.9 vs 44.4 por ciento p=0.02) en prescolares que en escolares. El 29 por ciento presentaron deficiencia de yodo (10.5 por ciento moderada o grave) y 47.2 por ciento parasitosis. Predominaron G. lamblia y E. histolytica. Bajo salario, sexo masculino y no tener seguridad social se asociaron con parasitosis. Conclusiones. La elevada prevalencia de deficiencia de hierro, yodo y parasitosis obliga al sector salud estatal a ejecutar medidas eficaces para abatir estas enfermedades prevenibles.
Objective. To estimate the prevalence of iron deficiency, iodine deficiency and parasitosis in children attending the Instituto Alteño para el Desarrollo de Jalisco ((Highlands Institute for Development of Jalisco State, INADEJ), Arandas, Jalisco, Mexico. Material and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted between 1997 and 1999, among 432 children aged 12 to 120 months attending the INADEJ. Measurements included hematological values, urine iodine concentration, and presence of parasites. Student's t test chi square tests were used for parametric and non-parametric analysis. Results. The prevalence figures of anemia (20 vs 7.4 percent, p=0.007) and iron deficiency (60.9 vs 44.4 percent, p=0.02) were higher in preschool than in school children. Iodine deficiency was found in 29 percent (10.5 percent moderate or severe) and parasitosis in 47.2 percent of children, mainly E. histolytica (30.2 percent) and G. lamblia (28.9 percent). Low income, male gender and lack of social security policy holding were associated to parasitosis. Conclusions. The high prevalence rates of iron deficiency, iodine deficiency, and parasitosis, should be addressed by state health services with effective interventions to restrain these preventable diseases.
Subject(s)
Child , Child, Preschool , Humans , Infant , Iodine/deficiency , Iron/deficiency , Parasitic Diseases/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Mexico/epidemiology , PrevalenceABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To assess the nutritional status of children attending the Instituto Alteño para el Desarrollo de Jalisco (Highlands Institute for Development of Jalisco State, Inadej) in Arandas, Jalisco and to discuss the classification criteria of infant malnutrition in Mexico. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 775 children aged between twelve and one hundred and twenty months, who attended Inadej, including 432 children recently registered in INADEJ. Measurements included weight/age, height/age, and weight/height indices. The prevalence of malnutrition was compared using the WHO's criteria and the Mexican Official Norm Classification (NOM-SSA) criteria. The weight/age, height/age and weight/height indices were compared using the chi-squared test. RESULTS: Parents' schooling level was low (mean = 3.6 years); the mean family income was U.S. $198.00 dollars per month, with each family member receiving 0.56 dollars per day for three daily meals. The prevalence of malnutrition was significantly higher with any of the three indices when using the NOM-SSA criteria, as compared to the WHO criteria (weight/age 91.7 vs. 30.9; height/age 66.9 vs 17.3; and weight/height 62.5 vs. 9.5, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The weight/age index and the NOM-SSA criteria overestimate the prevalence of malnutrition and are not able to tell apart children with familial small size, nor those with acute and/or chronic or past malnutrition. The WHO criteria were found to be more useful; the weight/height (recent malnutrition) and height/age (chronic malnutrition) indices should be used for international comparisons. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html.