Malnutrition in elementary rural schools in the municipality of Paso de Ovejas, Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate malnutrition in basic education students from four rural schools belonging to the municipality of Paso de Ovejas, Veracruz, Mexico.

Methodology: The study is based on the Participatory Action-Research (PAR) process, it is descriptive, analytical, non-experimental and cross-sectional. Through anthropometric measurements, the body mass index (BMI) was determined for 617 children and adolescents. To determine malnutrition, the tables proposed by the World Health Organization 2007 were taken as a reference, which indicate the BMI according to gender and age.

Results: 47% of the students are in a normal nutritional state. In the rest of the student population, the problem of malnutrition predominated, with 43% being overweight and obese, and regarding malnutrition in its three levels (mild, moderate and severe), it had an impact on 10%, with girls being the most frequency to this problem.

Implication: the study does not present dietary surveys or medical history of the students, since anthropometry is a method validated by the WHO.

Findings: 53% of students face nutritional problems such as: overweight, obesity and malnutrition. Therefore, it is necessary to implement strategies in a participatory manner, as well as to develop a nutritional education program based on the “territorial food system” respecting their culture and, based on this, encourage the co-design of school and / or family gardens through agroecopedagogy.