Caracterización del estado nutricional en relación con factores socio-ambientales de la población escolar del partido de Punta Indio (Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina) / Characterization of nutritional status in relation to social and envi

The aim of this work was to evaluate nutritional status, body composition, and proportion in relation to socio-environmental conditions of residence in the infant-juvenile population of three towns in the district of Punta Indio, in Buenos Aires. A cross-sectional study was performed in 845 children (47.5% male and 52.5% female) 3 to 15 years old. Weight, height, sitting height, arm circumference, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds were surveyed, and nutritional indicators, body composition, and proportion were calculated using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reference. Socio-environmental information was obtained through structured questionnaires and was processed with a Categorical Principal Components Analysis which allowed to distinguish four groups: I) "favored urban"; II) "intermediate urban"; III) "urban unfavorable", and IV) "rural". In each group, prevalence of nutritional status was also calculated and compared using Fisher's exact test. The results for the total population indicated 3.8% of undernutrition, 13.1% of overweight, and 10.9% of obesity. All types of malnutrition were accompanied by changes in body composition. Group IV was different from the other groups in that it did not present cases of chronic undernutrition. These results allow us to conclude that the studied population has experienced an advanced nutrition transition, characterized by low prevalence of undernutrition and high prevalence of overweight and obesity. This situation can be related to profound economic changes that have recently occurred in the district of Punta Indio, which have not led to the elimination of malnutrition but to changing its polarity towards excess weight. KEYWORDS malnutrition; body proportion and composition; socio-environmental variables; biological anthropologyEl objetivo es evaluar el estado nutricional, la composición y proporción corporal con relación a las condiciones socio-ambientales de residencia de la población infanto-juvenil de las localidades de Verónica, Pipinas y La Viruta (partido de Punta Indio, provincia de Buenos Aires). Se realizó un estudio antropométrico transversal en 845 niños (47.5% varones y 52.5% mujeres) de 3 a 15 años. Se relevaron peso, talla, estatura sentado, perímetro braquial y pliegues tricipital y subescapular, y se calcularon indicadores nutricionales, de proporción y composición corporal, utilizando la referencia Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. La información socio-ambiental se obtuvo aplicando encuestas estructuradas y fue procesada mediante Análisis de Componentes Principales Categórico. Esto permitió diferenciar cuatro grupos: I) “urbano favorecido”; II) “urbano intermedio”; III) “urbano desfavorable” y IV) “rural”. Para cada grupo se calcularon prevalencias de estado nutricional que fueron comparadas mediante la prueba exacta de Fisher. Los resultados indicaron 3.8% de desnutrición, 13.1% de sobrepeso y 10.9% de obesidad. La malnutrición por déficit y por exceso se vio acompañada por modificaciones en la composición corporal. El grupo “rural” se diferenció de los otros grupos por no presentar casos de desnutrición crónica. Estos resultados permiten concluir que la población estudiada experimenta una transición nutricional avanzada, dada por bajas prevalencias de desnutrición y altas prevalencias de sobrepeso y obesidad. Esta situación puede interpretarse en el marco de las transformaciones económicas intensas ocurridas recientemente en el partido de Punta Indio, las cuales no han conducido a erradicar la malnutrición, sino a cambiar su polaridad hacia el exceso de peso. PALABRAS CLAVE malnutrición; proporción y composición corporal; variables socio-ambientales; antropología biológica The aim of this work was to evaluate nutritional status, body composition, and proportion in relation to socio-environmental conditions of residence in the infant-juvenile population of three towns in the district of Punta Indio, in Buenos Aires. A cross-sectional study was performed in 845 children (47.5% male and 52.5% female) 3 to 15 years old. Weight, height, sitting height, arm circumference, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds were surveyed, and nutritional indicators, body composition, and proportion were calculated using the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reference. Socio-environmental information was obtained through structured questionnaires and was processed with a Categorical Principal Components Analysis which allowed to distinguish four groups: I) "favored urban"; II) "intermediate urban"; III) "urban unfavorable", and IV) "rural". In each group, prevalence of nutritional status was also calculated and compared using Fisher's exact test. The results for the total population indicated 3.8% of undernutrition, 13.1% of overweight, and 10.9% of obesity. All types of malnutrition were accompanied by changes in body composition. Group IV was different from the other groups in that it did not present cases of chronic undernutrition. These results allow us to conclude that the studied population has experienced an advanced nutrition transition, characterized by low prevalence of undernutrition and high prevalence of overweight and obesity. This situation can be related to profound economic changes that have recently occurred in the district of Punta Indio, which have not led to the elimination of malnutrition but to changing its polarity towards excess weight. KEYWORDS malnutrition; body proportion and composition; socio-environmental variables; biological anthropolog