Nutritional anthropometry and dietary intake of children from the Las Cuevas region of the Dominican Republic
Bruce, L.; Lieberman, L.S.
Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutricion 37(2): 250-258
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-0622 PMID: 3455181 Document Number: 295591
A nutritional survey was made in the Las Cuevas watershed located in the southwestern region of the Dominican Republic to assess the nutritional state of preschool children. Height, weight, mid-arm circumference and triceps skin-fold measurements were taken of 280 children between 6 and 54 months old. Dietary recall was elicited from mothers or guardians. Results compared with the USA National Center for Health Statistics reference data indicated that these children: experienced growth failure and poor nutritional state as indicated by low weight for age; had chronic malnutrition as revealed by low height for age and reduced muscle mass of the mid-arm; had appropriate weight for height measurements. A food frequency survey revealed that the children ate a diet high in carbohydrates and low in animal protein. Breast feeding was a common practice although cow's milk was introduced early in 25% of the sample. The mean age at weaning was 12 months. The results indicate that the children had the greatest growth deficits in the second year of life and that these deficits were indicative of chronic undernutrition rather than acute food shortage or recent disease episodes.