Abstract

Author(s): Huamán Guadalupe, Edith Rosana1; Marmolejo Gutarra, Doris2; Paitan Anticona, Elizabeth3; Zenteno Vigo, Felipe4

Introduction: Food security is a complex phenomenon that explains the biopsychosocial, nutritional and economic relationship.

Objetives: Determine the relationship between food security and chronic malnutrition in children under five years of the Apurímac River Valley, Ene and Mantaro.

Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study the population was selected families that had at least one child under 5 years old, in the VRAEM communities with a sample of 207 children under 5 years of 188 mothers surveyed. The statistical program SPSS v.22 was used.

Results: 86% of families have mild food insecurity, 14% moderate food insecurity; 30.9% present chronic malnutrition and 12.6% severe chronic malnutrition, 95.2% of mothers practice breastfeeding, 4.8% have given infusion in the first six months of life, 29.5% did not receive complementary feeding after six months of lifetime. 29% had episodes of diarrhea, 63.2% when diarrhea gives less food and more fluid; 55.6% of the children live in households that obtain water from the public network inside the house, 31.4% consume water from the public network outside the home, 7.1% consume unboiled water, 60.4% of children they have access to latrines, 23.2% eliminate garbage in the open field, 23.7% burn them, 87.9% wash their hands with soap and water, 71.5% of families cultivate small plots, in frequency of food consumption 89.3 % consume rice, 84.2% potatoes, 91.9% sugar and 7.9% fish. Food security is significantly associated with chronic malnutrition (OR 2.409, 95% CI: 1.074-5.402, p value = 0.033).

Conclusions: Chronically malnourished children mostly live in households affected by mild food insecurity.