Analysis of the agrifood situation in an elementary school community

Resumen

Objective: To analyze the agrifood situation (nutritional state) of elementary school children from the San Miguel El Piñón community, located in Españita, Tlaxcala, Mexico. The objective was to identify elements that could be used to design and implement strategies aimed to improve food and nutrition security in this rural area.

Design/Methodology/Approach: A participatory action research was conducted to analyze the information collected from mothers and children (n=44) from an elementary school located in San Miguel El Piñón, Tlaxcala.

Results: Based on their weight, size, and nutritional state, 69.6% of the participating children have a healthy weight. However, 26.1% of the participating children have symptoms of malnutrition, while no data was recorded for 4.3% of the children. Food insecurity was identified in the community as a consequence of which families cannot have a well-balanced diet.

Study Limitations/Implications: The results are only valid for the selected sample. Although the situation was studied in the field, the actual sample was small. Nevertheless, the national trend on this subject was confirmed.

Findings/Conclusions: This is a worrisome situation that can impact the physical, psychosocial, and cognitive growth and development of children. The sample evaluation revealed symptoms of malnutrition.