Abstract

TORRES, María Fernanda; LUIS, María Antonia; GARRAZA M***, Mariela  and  OYHENART, Evelia Edith. Rurality and nutritional status. A study in the Magdalena population (province of Buenos Aires, Argentina). Rev. Mus. Antropol. [online]. 2017, vol.10, n.1, pp.77-86. ISSN 1852-060X.

In Argentina, "rurality" is commonly defined as "that is not urban" based on the employment of different criteria i.e. geographical or statistical. The aim is to analyze, the nutritional status in relation to the socio-environmental characteristics of residence of children inhabiting in Magdalena (Buenos Aires, Argentina). A cross-sectional study was carried out in 428 students aged between 3.0 and 14.9 years attending to schools of different localities categorized as rural by the School Council. Weight (W) and height (H) were measured and Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Prevalence of low weight-for-age (LWA), low height-for-age (LHA) and low BMI (LBMI), Overweight (O) and Obesity (OB) were estimated using WHO reference. The socio-environmental variables were surveyed using structured questioner and the data were analyzed by means of categorical principal component analysis. The results allowed to characterize the population and to differentiate two groups. Overall prevalence of excess of weight (29.8%: O 17.2%, OB 12.6%) exceeded 5 times undernutrition (6.7%: LWA 1.6%, LHA 4.4%, LBMI 0.7%). The regression analysis indicated a greater probability of obesity in males among the more urban group (1: 21.6%, 2: 9.80%). It is concluded that in the heterogeneous "rural" environment, the nutritional status of children differs.

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