Malnutrition and risk of occurrence of chronic non-communicable diseases in Children of Machalilla and Salango

Abstract

Childhood malnutrition was presented as a public health problem that increased the risk of developing chronic noncommunicable diseases in early life. The objective of the study was to evaluate malnutrition and the risk of developing chronic noncommunicable diseases in children aged 5 to 14 years, using anthropometric, hematological, and dietary indicators. A non-experimental, cross-sectional, prospective, descriptive, and correlational observational design was applied to a sample of 30 children. The results showed that the distribution by sex was balanced, and BMI in Machalilla showed a predominance of obesity at 62.5% (n=10). For hemoglobin and hematocrit, the value was below the expected 3.3% (n=1). Most biochemical parameters remained within normal values for both males and females, with only one case presenting elevated levels (n=1; 6.3%). In terms of diet, almost all children received snacks between meals (96.7%, n=29) and consumed three or more meals a day (96.7%, n=29). In Salango, there was a considerable prevalence of obesity (43.33%, n=13) and overweight (10%, n=3).  It was concluded that more than half of the children evaluated are malnourished due to excess food, which is a serious health and developmental problem.