Search

Abstract Background In Mexico, as in other developing countries, micronutrient deficiencies are common in infants between 6 and 24 months of age and are an important public health problem. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and of iron, folic acid, and zinc deficiencies in Mexican children under 2 years of age who use the health care services provided by the Mexican Institute for Social Security (IMSS). Methods A nationwide survey was conducted with a representative sample of children younger than 2 years of age, beneficiaries, and users of health care services provided by IMSS through its regular regimen (located in urban populations) and its Oportunidades program (services offered in rural areas). A subsample of 4,955 clinically healthy children was studied to determine their micronutrient status. A venous blood sample was drawn to determine hemoglobin, serum ferritin, percent of transferrin saturation, zinc, and folic acid. Descriptive statistics include point estimates and 95% confidence intervals for the sample and projections for the larger population from which the sample was drawn. Results Twenty percent of children younger than 2 years of age had anemia, and 27.8% (rural) to 32.6% (urban) had iron deficiency; more than 50% of anemia was not associated with low ferritin concentrations. Iron stores were more depleted as age increased. Low serum zinc and folic acid deficiencies were 28% and 10%, respectively, in the urban areas, and 13% and 8%, respectively, in rural areas. The prevalence of simultaneous iron and zinc deficiencies was 9.2% and 2.7% in urban and rural areas. Children with anemia have higher percentages of folic acid deficiency than children with normal iron status. Conclusion Iron and zinc deficiencies constitute the principal micronutrient deficiencies in Mexican children younger than 2 years old who use the health care services provided by IMSS. Anemia not associated with low ferritin values was more prevalent than iron-deficiency anemia. The presence of micronutrient deficiencies at this early age calls for effective preventive public nutrition programs to address them.

Introduction. Child obesity is a growing phenomenon and marginalized communities in Mexico City are not exempt from it. The results achieved by frequent preventive and remedial interventions are still unacceptable. Objective. To contribute to the understanding of the growing problem of child obesity and overweight through a community health approach capable of transcending the biological perspective in order to improve interventions. Method. We observed and interviewed a sample of school children, some overweight, some obese, and some with a normal BMI. All observations and interviews were carried out in the children's daily environment. We also interviewed some of their mothers. Together with our field notes, we analyzed these testimonies to construct the Grounded Theory that is the output of the present study. Results. We found the children and their families immersed in a toxic environment that, through several mechanisms, fosters the consumption of high-density foods and discourages physical activity. We also found that the resources and competencies that families could use to fend off this environment are, at present, very limited. Discussion and conclusion. We concluded that the energy imbalance in overweight and obese children's bodies corresponds to an abysmal psychosocial imbalance between the forces that foster obesity and the resources of the families affected by it. Any intervention aimed at preventing obesity must take this psychosocial imbalance into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of delete -- Boletin Medico del Hospital Infantil de Mexico (Publicidad Permanyer SLU) is the property of PLACEHOLDER PID FOR DELETE MIDS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In Mexico exists a polarization of the nutritional status of children, in which malnutrition, overweight and obesity coexist. This situation would reorient current programs and policies aimed to improving children's nutritional status. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the current situation of Mexican children nutritional status in which low birth weight, anemia and malnutrition are still prevalent. The analysis was done by using the results of different nation-wide surveys. Malnutrition still persists mainly in poor areas. The incidence of low birth weight is 8%. Among children under 5 years prevalence of wasting is 5-5.6% stunting is 12.7-14.0% and 2% are severely malnourished. Prevalence of anemia is 30 to 37% among 1-year-old children and in the group of children aged 1-4 years anemia prevalence is 20 to 23%. Although malnutrition has been progressively combated, it is advisable to use the evidence provided by the surveys to reorient current health programs towards target populations in which malnutrition is still prevalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: to describe the physical growth in weight and height of children less than two years of age cared for the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS). Material and method: a population-based National Survey, which was also regional representative, was carried out in Ordinary Regime (RO) and the IMSS-Oportunidades Program (IO). In two years (2000-2002) the study gathered data on 17 502 children from the RO and 9872 from IO. The measures of weight and length were made by nurses, according to WHO criteria. Growth is reported as weight and length for each month of age and gender, in tables and percentile curves derived from quintile regressions, using a third degree polynomial to smooth out the lines. Results: the trends of the means of weight and height in the first two years of life in children cared by Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social show a pattern similar to those described in healthy children in other populations. However, the values are lower than those obtained in developed countries. Conclusions: children's growth at two years of age at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social shows a curve that is lower than that of the reference population recommended by the World Health Organization as an international standard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Childhood is a basic period for the development of habits and their continuation during the course of life. The objective of this study was to identify food preferences and their variations according to the nutritional status in school-age children living in Mexico City., Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out including 1465 school-age children attending eight public elementary schools in Mexico City. Children were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their preferences to 70 selected different foods. Anthropometric measurements were also carried out. Parents of the children provided sociodemographic information. For each food, the preference was evaluated using a Likert scale. Frequencies were calculated for the total sample and for different nutritional status levels., Results: Median age of children was 9 years old. Forty-eight percent of the children were overweight or obese. The most preferred foods were fruits, pizzas, flavored milk, and French fries. The least preferred foods were vegetables, whole-grain cereals, fish, meat, and panela cheese. Plain water (72%) and sugar-sweetened beverages (71%) had a high level of preference. There was no preference variation according to nutritional status., Conclusions: Food preference patterns of school-age children are a risk for unhealthy food consumption as well as for the increase in obesity prevalence in this population. Interventions focused on the promotion of a healthy food environment are necessary, aimed at improving food preferences from early childhood., (Copyright © 2014 Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Publicado por Masson Doyma México S.A. All rights reserved.)

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine Mexican caregivers' perceptions of the role of primary care in childhood obesity management, understand the barriers and facilitators of behavior change, and identify opportunities to strengthen obesity prevention and treatment in clinical settings., Methods: We conducted 52 in-depth interviews with parents and caregivers of overweight and obese children age 2-5 years in 4 Ministry of Health (public, low SES) and 4 Social Security Institute (insured, higher SES) primary care clinics in Mexico City and did systematic thematic analysis., Results: In both health systems, caregivers acknowledged childhood overweight but not its adverse health consequences. Although the majority of parents had not received nutrition or physical activity recommendations from health providers, many were open to clinician guidance. Despite knowledge of healthful nutrition and physical activity, parents identified several barriers to change including child feeding occurring in the context of competing priorities (work schedules, spouses' food preferences), and cultural norms (heavy as healthy, food as nurturance) that take precedence over adherence to dietary guidelines. Physical activity, while viewed favorably, is not a structured part of most preschooler's routines as reported by parents., Conclusions: The likelihood of success for clinic-based obesity prevention among Mexican preschoolers will be higher by addressing contextual barriers such as cultural norms regarding children's weight and support of family members for behavior change. Similarities in caregivers' perceptions across 2 health systems highlight the possibility of developing comprehensive interventions for the population as a whole.

Objective: To understand the health needs of the population living in Mexico's marginalized urban areas., Methods: A population-based survey of families residing in poor, urban neighborhoods, in five geographic areas in Mexico (northern, central, southern, south-east, and Mexico City), selected through multistage sampling. Interviews were conducted and anthropometric measurements were taken in the home, and included all members of the participating family. Analysis was carried out on positive health factors, nutrition, reproductive health, health problems, and mental health, and results were disaggregated by age and sex., Results: In all, 24,707 individuals participated. The interviewees were found to have minimal schooling (6 years or less). Only 46.8% had health care coverage, be it public or private. Among the children, 19.8% were malnourished; overweight was prevalent from adolescence onwards. Of adolescents 12-19 years of age, 15.7% were sexually active, but only 57.7% of the males and 41.9% of the females in this age group were using some method of contraception. Of the adults, 5.9% suffered from diabetes and 11.5%, from high blood pressure. In the sample of adolescents, adults, and elderly adults, tobacco use was 21.2%; alcohol consumption, 36.0%; illicit drug use, 9.5%; and depression, 20.2%., Conclusions: The health needs of people living in Mexico's marginalized urban areas proliferate in the context of a young population with weak ties and little support from family and health services. They face crisis and disease--infant malnutrition, high-risk pregnancy, and addictions--the byproducts of disparities in social progress. The rate of chronic conditions was similar to that of the general population of Mexico.

Objective: To describe the physical growth in weight and height of children less than two years of age cared for the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS)., Material and Method: A population-based National Survey, which was also regional representative, was carried out in Ordinary Regime (RO) and the IMSS-Oportunidades Program (IO). In two years (2000-2002) the study gathered data on 17,502 children from the RO and 9872 from IO. The measures of weight and length were made by nurses, according to WHO criteria. Growth is reported as weight and length for each month of age and gender, in tables and percentile curves derived from quintile regressions, using a third degree polynomial to smooth out the lines., Results: The trends of the means of weight and height in the first two years of life in children cared by Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social show a pattern similar to those described in healthy children in other populations. However, the values are lower than those obtained in developed countries., Conclusions: Children's growth at two years of age at the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social shows a curve that is lower than that of the reference population recommended by the World Health Organization as an international standard.