Anemia, nutritional status and intestinal parasites in children from vulnerable homes of Montevideo

Abstract

Introduction: iron deficiency anemia, nutritional alterations and intestinal parasitic diseases, mainly giardiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (HTS) are prevalent problems in Uruguay, which determine consequences for individual and collective health.

Objective: to determine the prevalence of anemia, nutritional alterations and enteroparasitosis in children of 6-48 months of a vulnerable population of Montevideo, to establish possible synergisms and to analyze the presence of risk factors.

Material and methods: descriptive, cross-sectional study. Population: children aged 6-48 months belonging to a program to support vulnerable homes in Montevideo. Students and teachers of Medicine and Nutrition trained, attended the homes and through surveys, collected demographic, environmental, epidemiological, clinical and habits variables, between October / 2014-May / 2015. They performed anthropometric measures, capillary hemoglobin and coproparasitary. Data analysis: EPIinfo2000 complemented with SPSS19. Statistical analysis: uni or multivariate. Associations between 2 variables: test of Z or chi². Associations between more than 2 variables: multiple regressions. Protocol approved by the Ethics Committee of the School of Medicine.

Results: N: 136 children. Prevalence of anemia: 33%, low weight: 3.7%, size retardation: 18% and overweight / obesity: 4.5%. They harbored pathogenic parasites: 60% of those studied; Giardiasis: 46% and HTS: 23%, polyparasites: 13%. Conditions that presented association with HTS: flood zone, alternatives of sanitation not improved and elimination of open pit. Significant associations found: between HTS and anemia; and between HTS and height deficit (group of 1-2 years).

Conclusions: the results are worrying given the high prevalence of anemia, nutritional alterations and parasites in this population. The planning and implementation of measures with multidisciplinary, inter-institutional and community participation is urgently needed.