Outcomes of a food securitu program in reductiion of chronic malnutrition and its causal factors in peruvian children

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the effect of a food security program (Redes Sostenibles para la Seguridad Alimentaria: REDESA) on the chronic malnutrition (stunting) and its causal factors in smaller children of three years. Materials and methods: The result on the stunting was evaluated through the comparison of the percentage obtained in the initial evaluation (2001) and in the final evaluation of the Program (2006). The chronic malnutrition or stunting was defined as an index of stature for the age smaller to -2DS, the used reference were the patterns of the NCHS. The sampling was obtained by a random multietapic procedure. The sample of the baseline was 2643 children and their families and for the final evaluation were 1597. The causal factors were grouped in: a) health and feeding, that included the acute diarrheal diseases (ADE), exclusive breastfeeding (EB), feeding during and after the diarrheal diseases; b) the economic, which included the annual familiar income and the expenses in feeding. Results: The stunting was reduced from 34,2% to 24,3%. The ADE were reduced from 35,0% to 16,4%, the EB increase from 25,0% to 72,2%, the feeding during and after the diseases was increased from 3,3% to 45,0% and from 15% to 77% respectively, in all the cases the differences were statistically significant (p<0,01). The annual familiar income were increased in a 61%, whereas the money destined to the food purchase was increased in 34,5%, the increases were statistically significant (p<0,01). Conclusion: REDESA Program obtained a substantive improvement in the causal reduction of the chronic malnutrition and its factors.