Factores de riesgo asociados a la malnutrición en niños menores de 5 años en el Centro de Salud Martha de Roldós de la ciudad Guayaquil, Ecuador año 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: Childhood malnutrition is a social condition that limits people's capabilities and functioning; it refers to the inadequate processes of using nutrients for correct growth and development of the human being, in the short, medium and long term. Objective: To determine the risk factors associated with malnutrition in children under 5 years of age at the Martha de Roldós health center in the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador in 2024. Materials and methods: This study was descriptive since it is limited to measuring the distribution of a problem in the study population, it is correlational since it relates the possible causes of the present problem and it is cross-sectional since the data was taken at a single time. Results: 50 children with malnutrition from the Martha de Roldós Health Center were evaluated during the months of December 2023 to March 2024. Of these, 66% (33 children) had acute malnutrition, 22% (11 children) had chronic malnutrition, 4% (2 children) had obesity, and 8% (4 children) were overweight. Regarding risk factors, 59% gave a positive response to the immediate factors, and 41% gave negative responses, while in the underlying factors 79% gave positive responses and 21% gave negative responses, finally regarding the basic factors 47% gave positive responses and 53% gave negative responses. Conclusions: A prevalence of the diagnosis of acute malnutrition in children between the ages of 0 and 5 years was evident, as well as a predominance of the different diagnoses of malnutrition in the male gender. And as for risk factors, we can see that there is a great predominance of economic, cultural, knowledge and food safety factors.