Social determinants in health and nutritional status in indigenous’ early childhood: Risaralda, Colombia

Abstract

Introduction: indigenous villages face health care problems constantly as a consequence of social inequality, including the precarious health system they receive. Objective: establish the social determinants in health associated to the nutritional situation of indigenous children younger than 5-year-old, in the community of Embera, Chamí of Mistrató, Risaralsa. Materials and Methods: Quantitative and descriptive investigation with an associative phase. Data for nutritional evaluation was gathered and the social determinants were described; the association was determined through a bivariate analysis. Results: 384 infants participated, most of them between the ages of 24 to 59 months old. 72.4% of them showed chronic malnutrition, 60.9% showed risk of low weight for age and global malnutrition. In physical malnutrition signs, 17% presented gray stains in their tooth enamel, and 7,8% presented paleness in their faces. Significant differences were found (p<0,05) between age and indicators such as weight/size, size/age, and physical signs, in economic income and size/age and weight/age. The number of residents in a house was related to size/age (p=0,038) and the cephalic perimeter (p=0,023), the household characteristics with physical signs (p=0,049). The father’s occupation was associated with weight/age (p=0,003). Total Breastfeeding with weight/age (p=0,10) and physical signs (p=0,033). Significant differences were shown, related to cereals, fats, oils, sugars, and legumes and size/age. Garbage disposal was associated with this indicator as well (p=0,007) and the way of water consumption with physical signs (p=0,000). Conclusion: Social determinants in health that were associated with the nutritional situation of kids were age, income, school education, parents’ occupations, access to social security systems, garbage disposal, breastfeeding, and the frequency in which they consume food like cereals, fats and sugars.