Inequalities in the nutritional epidemiology of children in Cochabamba: ten years after the Multisectoral Zero Malnutrition Program.

Inequalities in children's nutritional epidemiology in Cochabamba

Abstract

Ten years after of the promulgation of Multi sectorial Zero Malnutrition Program, and more than a five-year of the Integral Nutrition Units (UNI) implementation, there is no local epidemiological information about its impact at the population level.

Objective: to analyze the inequalities in the prevalence of the risk factors associated with child malnutrition in municipalities with and without UNI from Cochabamba.

Methods: an ecological cross-sectional study with aggregated data by municipality was conducted, using the information collected by the departmental study on Risk Factors Associated with Child Malnutrition in Cochabamba (FRAMIC). The municipalities with and without UNI from Cochabamba were the analysis units. Prevalence averages of the municipal level were calculated by the study group, accompanied by standard deviations and student’s T-test for statistical differences. For the analysis of inequalities, the concentration index of the accumulated prevalence per study group was used.

Results: the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was higher in municipalities with UNI (75%). The adequate complementary feeding and Nutribebe delivery coverage were higher in municipalities with UNI (76% and 83%). No statistically significant differences were found in the use of Nutribebe and iron supplement between municipalities with and without UNI. The reduction in the prevalence of chronic malnutrition was higher in municipalities with UNI. Conclusion: there are no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of child malnutrition among municipalities with and without UNI; showing that the presence of the UNI contributed to reducing the inequality gap in the prevalence of chronic malnutrition among the study groups.