Number of meals per day during the COVID-19 in Colombia, poverty and mortality due to nutritional deficiencies and anemias.

ABSTRACT

Background: During the COVID - 19 pandemic in Colombia in the year 2021, changes have been reported in the number of meals consumed per day in households, which merited an analysis of the relationship between this situation with territorial socioeconomic variables and mortality due to nutritional deficiencies and anemias. Method(s) A multiple-group descriptive study was carried out. Result(s) From the analyses, a moderate negative and significant correlation was identified between the consumption of at least three meals a day and mortality due to nutritional deficiencies and anemias, as well as for a higher level of multidimensional poverty at territorial level. Conclusion(s) Population risk factors were identified, such as higher levels of multidimensional poverty that may lead to the use of survival strategies such as the consumption of fewer meals per day by the population, which may have an impact on higher mortality rates due to nutritional deficiencies and anemias during the COVID- 19 pandemic in Colombia.Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Espanola de Nutricion Comunitaria. All rights reserved.