Evaluación de una intervención educativa nutricional para mejorar los niveles de hemoglobina capilar en niños de etapa escolar de zonas urbano-marginales de la ciudad de Guayaquil-Ecuador de mayo-septiembre 2022.

Abstract

Iron deficiency and anemia decrease people's well-being, producing negative consequences on health and productivity of individuals. As background, in the first phase of research, the results showed that 27.85% of children had anemia. As a response to this problem, a practical nutritional education workshop was held for the mothers of the children under study. The objective was to evaluate the nutritional educational intervention to improve capillary hemoglobin levels in school children from marginal urban areas of the city of Guayaquil-Ecuador from May to September 2022. This study was longitudinal, analytical, correlational, quasi-experimental. 50 school-age children were evaluated. Data collection was performed using professional tools and equipment to assess anthropometry and biochemistry. In addition, through a KAP survey, parents' knowledge of anemia and nutrition were assessed, and children's eating habits were determined through a food frequency questionnaire. The results showed that, in the selected population, hemoglobin levels decreased by 70%, the quality of food worsened by 58%, the level of knowledge deteriorated by 60%, eating practices deteriorated by 62%, and 48% of parents improved their attitude. In conclusion, the level of attitude increased significantly, unlike knowledge and practice. Thus, demonstrating the little interest shown by parents, and that the educational intervention must be redesigned.