Changes in the prevalence of undernutrition, overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from Buenos Aires, Mendoza, and Misiones provinces (Argentina) over the last two decades

CESANI MF; GARRAZA M; ZONTA ML; TORRES MF; NAVAZO B; BERGEL SANCHÍS ML; LUNA ME; GAUNA ME

AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY

WILEY-LISS, DIV JOHN WILEY & SONS INC

Lugar: New York; Año: 2022 vol. 34 p. 1 - 13

1042-0533

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine changes in the prevalenceof undernutrition, overweight and obesity in Argentine children and adolescents over the last two decades, and analyze their relationship with familysocioeconomic conditions.Methods: We compared data in two cross-sectional studies (C) ofschoolchildren (n: 4971) aged 4 to 13 years from three provinces: Buenos Aires,Mendoza and Misiones. C1 was carried out between 2005 and 2009 and C2between 2010 and 2019. Anthropometric (body weight, height, triceps and subscapular skinfolds) and socioeconomic data of both studies were obtained inthe same schools by the same investigators, using a similar methodology. Theprevalence of nutritional status and the frequency of family socioeconomicconditions were calculated by province and C. Data were analyzed by chisquare test, categorical principal component analysis and generalized linearmodel.Results: The prevalence of undernutrition decreased in C2 in Buenos Airesand Misiones and remained constant in Mendoza. At the same time, the prevalence of overweight and obesity increased in the three provinces, around 13%in Buenos Aires and 9% in Mendoza and Misiones. Similarly, fat massincreased in C2. Undernutrition was associated with inadequate family socioeconomic conditions only in C1.Conclusions: This 14-year follow-up study shows a decreasing trend in theprevalence of undernutrition and an increasing trend in the prevalence ofoverweight, obesity, and fat mass in the child and adolescent population ofArgentina. Also, a marked deterioration in family socioeconomic conditionswas found, but its relationship with the changes in nutritional status remainsto be elucidated.