Estado nutricional, parasitismo intestinal y sus factores de riesgo en una población vulnerable del municipio de Iza (Boyacá), Colombia año 2013

Abstract

The aim of this study was to establish the nutritional status and intestinal parasitism and their risk factors in pregnant women, elderly people and children under 5 years old. Each one of the participants was given a survey, their nutritional status values were taken(weight and size), as were measurements of indicators such as haemoglobin, seric iron, ferritin, tranferrin, reactive protein C, and a test for intestinal parasites, followed by a medical management plan. The risk factors for intestinal parasitism found, were bad hygiene habits and the lack of access to basic public services. In the elderly, it was found that 22% were overweight and 16.5% suffered from obesity. In the group of boys and girls, 15.2% were overweight or obese and 15.2% presented some risk of acute malnutrition. Moreover, the elderly presented 26.4% prevalence of mild or moderate anaemia, and the children 14.9%, in both cases co-related to the concentrations of iron and ferritin. There was 65.3% prevalence of intestinal parasites. Some of the parasites found were: Entamoeba coli, Blastocystis hominis and Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar. It is important to reinforce the programmes of food security to lower the malnutrition rates. In spite of having found a high percentage of intestinal parasites, no statistically significant relationship with malnutrition and its factors was found.