Risk factors of malnutrition in children younger than five years old in Manatí municipality

Background: the children's nutritional state is intrinsically related to their growth and development in the different stages of life and it should be assessed considering their harmonic growth in relation to nutrition.Objective: To identify the risk factors associated to malnutrition in children younger than five years old who belong to the health area of "Mártires de Manatí" polyclinic, Manatí municipality in Las Tunas, from January, 2013 to February, 2016.Methods: a retrospective, analytic and observational study, type case control, was carried out in the place and time period mentioned before, about risk factors associated to malnutrition in children. The sample was made up of 460 children, 230 undernourished children from the study group that were below the third percentile, according to the Cuban charts of weight for the size, and 230 children normal weight of the control group selected at random.Results: the bad hygienic-sanitary conditions increased 6,2 times the malnutrition risk in the infants. Children with inadequate ablactation increased the risk in 5,8 times and the artificial nursing incremented it in 1,8 times. The low per capita family income, low mother schooling, and the associated diseases were other risk factors of malnutrition. Causal association between low birth weight and malnutrition at fifth year of life was not demonstrated.Conclusions: the risk factors associated to malnutrition were identified. The bad hygienic-sanitary conditions, inadequate ablactation and the artificial breastfeeding showed the highest incidence.