IGEVET   21075
INSTITUTO DE GENETICA VETERINARIA "ING. FERNANDO NOEL DULOUT"
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND BODY COMPOSITION OF WICHI CHILDREN AND ADULTS FROM THE NORTHWEST OF CHACO
Autor/es:
CESANI MF; GARBOSAA G, OYHENART EE
Lugar:
La Plata, Argentina
Reunión:
Congreso; X Congreso de la Sociedad de Ciencias Morfológicas de La Plata y 7mas Jornadas de Educación; 2008
Institución organizadora:
Soceidad de Ciencias Morfológicas de La Plata
Resumen:
Life conditions of the Wichi populations are critical. The abject poverty in which they live leave them biologically and socially vulnerable, possibly causing direct consequences on their health. The objective of this Study is to evaluate the nutritional status and body composition of children and adults from seven Wichi communities in Chaco. Weight, height, arm circumference and subscapular and tricipital skinfold were measured in 324 individuals (132 men and 192 women) aged from 3 to 60 and grouped in four age-categories (3-9.9; 10-17.9; 18-29.9; 30-60). The BMI, the muscle mass area and adipose tissue area of the arm have been calculated. Data was transformed to Z scores using the NHANES I and NHANES II references. Z scores of -2 were used as cut-off point to determine low height-for-age and low weight-for-height. Overweight and obesity were estimated according to the recommendations of the International Obesity Task Force. The general prevalence of low height-for-age was higher than low weight-for-height (20.7% and 6.5%, respectively) in both sexes. The analysis of the age categories has shown a similar situation, except in the 3 to 9.9 years-group, where low weight-for-height was similar to low height-for-age in men but higher in women. Twenty three percent of the individuals were overweight and 5.2% were obese. Women showed the highest prevalent among all age-groups. Z scores of tricipital skinfold and arm fat were similar to those of the reference population whereas the scores of subscapular skinfold were higher (0<z<2). The muscle mass area varied according to sex: the average in women was higher than that of the reference population (0<z<1), but in men it was lower (0>z>-1). It is concluded that most of the analyzed population shows a distorted nutritional status and body composition, being women the most affected. The high percentage of chronic and acute undernourishment observed, especially in children under the age of 10, express the negative effect of the environment in which these communities live.