Anemia en las embarazadas de la comuna de Puente Alto, Chile / Anemia in pregnant women from the community of Puente Alto, Chile

BACKGROUND: Micronutrient deficiencies, specially iron, render pregnant women as one of the most vulnerable groups to have anemia. AIM: To report the prevalence of anemia during pregnancy and its associated features in women attending public clinics in the Puente Alto County. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 1683 pregnant women aged 18 years old or more. Hemoglobin concentration was determined using the cianmetahemoglobin method. Anemia was defined using the 5th percentile cut-off for each week of gestational age as proposed by R Yip from the Centers of Disease Control, 1989. The influence of maternal age, parity, nutritional status classified using weight/height, diseases and smoking habits on hemoglobin concentration were analyzed using logistic regression with a stepwise procedure. RESULTS: Thirteen percent of the study population was anemic. The single factor significantly associated with anemia was nutritional status. Twenty one percent of women with a low weight for height were anemic. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the concept that pregnant women with a low weight for height have the greatest risk for anemia and should be specially benefited with preventive or treatment programs to avoid this problem.

Ingesta de nutrientes en adultos mayores de la comuna de Providencia, Santiago de Chile / Nutrients intake in elderly people living in Providence, Santiago de Chile

BACKGROUND: The information available on food intake in the elderly in Chile is restricted to individuals of low socioeconomic groups, but there is no data available on food intake in elderly of higher income groups. AIM: To assess food intake in a group of elderly people from Providencia County in Santiago, a middle income community. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty one subjects (20 male), aged 60 to 73 years, were studied. Trained volunteers applied a 3 days food registry, to determine food intake. Intake was assessed using 1985 FAO/OMS/UNU recommendations for energy intake and USA Food and Nutrition Board recommendations for micronutrient intake. RESULTS: The studied subjects had an adequate macronutrient intake, when compared with current recommendations. There was a relatively low intake of calories from fat (24.6 per cent in males and 26.1 per cent in females). Also, vitamin and mineral intake was adequate with the exception of calcium (64.5 per cent and 57.9 per cent of recommendation in males and in females respectively), zinc and folic acid (74.2 per cent and 62.4 per cent in males and females respectively). The intake of legumes and cereals was relatively low. CONCLUSIONS: Food intake in this group of individuals was substantially higher than that reported previously for poor elderly Chileans and similar to that of industrialized countries. Food intake of the elderly is probably related to socioeconomic level.