Anthropometric and dietary study of Miskito Indian children in rural Nicaragua
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 14722104 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mary Ruth Horner (University of Wisconsin–Madison, corresponding author), William S Harris (0000-0003-3042-9353, University of Minnesota Rochester), Bonnie J Brownlee (Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis), Ronald S Goldstein (0000-0002-2907-7971, Michigan State University), A K Taylor, Amybel Taylor (Illinois College) |
| Year | 1977 |
| Volume | 6 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 137-146 |
| Publication date | 1977-01-01 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Ecology of Food and Nutrition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0367-0244 • E-ISSN: 1543-5237 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/03670244.1977.9990492 |
| OpenAlex | W2040762760 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 5 |
The nutritional status of 304 infants and young children (0–60 mo. old) was assessed in three Miskito Indian villages in Northeast Nicaragua in 1975. Evidence of chronic (but not current) malnutrition was obtained by anthropometric measurements. Dietary intake data, however, indicated major problems with the current level of food intake. Height was the most severely affected nutritional indicator, as only 40 percent of the sample met or exceeded the 3rd percentile of the Boston growth standards. Thirty‐nine percent of the children showed first or second degree malnutrition based on the Gomez criteria of weight for age. Ninety‐two percent of the children attained 90 percent of the standard weight for height which suggested that they were well‐proportioned but small for age. Growth rates dropped sharply during the second year of life and coincided with the infant weaning period. The use of the upper arm circumference as an indicator of malnutrition was found to be unreliable in this sample of children. Energy was the major dietary deficit with a mean intake of 2.84 MJ (675 KCal) for all children (12–60 mo. old) supplying only 59 percent of the INCAP RDA for a one year old child. Protein and fat each supplied about 12 percent of total energy intake. Additional nutrient intakes below the INCAP standards were Vitamin A (90 percent below), calcium (37 percent below), iron (36 percent below), and protein (13 percent below). The low protein intake was probably secondary to a reduced total food intake since the percent of calories as protein was relatively high. Key words: Miskito IndianNicaraguaChildhood MalnutritionNutritional StatusArm CircumferenceHead CircumferenœSanitation24 Hour Dietary IntakeAnthropometry Notes Reprint requests to W. S. Harris 200 First St. SW Rochester, Mn. 55901 USA
Animal science · Anthropometry · Biology · Body mass index · Dietary Reference Intake · Environmental health · Malnutrition · Nutrient · Overweight · Percentile · Protein–energy malnutrition · Reference Daily Intake · Underweight · Vitamin · Weaning · Weight for Age · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Demography · Indigenous Health and Education · Mathematics · Medicine · Endocrinology · Internal Medicine · Pediatrics
| Citations per year | 0.04 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1981 - 1981 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |