Infant Nutrition in a Poor Mayan Village of Yucatan is Related to an Energy Deficiency Diet That a Course on Nutrition Could Not Overcome

Preece-Baines Model 1 to Estimate Height and Knee Height Growth in Boys and Girls From Merida, Mexico

“…[20][21][22][23][24] Despite improvements in living conditions over the last 30 years, Maya populations in Yucatan, continue manifesting the signs of severe poverty and marginalization, which reflect a high rate of undernutrition and infectious diseases. [25][26][27] Prevalence of undernutrition in children was recorded mostly from rural Yucatan, 26 but there are also available reports from urban areas. For example, in a recent study of 6-to 9-year-old Maya children (53 boys and 56 girls) from Merida, Yucatan, low height-forage (stunting) was present in 15% of boys and 7% of girls.…”

Assessment of Child, Mother, and Environmental Factors Associated with Undernutrition in Children Less than Five Years Old in a Maya Community in Yucatan, Mexico

“…The association between age and undernutrition is in agreement with results of a previous study, where the estimated prevalence of stunting was higher in Mexican children 24-59 months old in 1988 and 1999, compared to Mexican children less than 24 months old in the same time period (but not in 2006, when the prevalence of stunting in both age groups was similar: 14 and 16%, respectively) [4]. In a community study conducted among 84 Maya children between one and 60 months of age, a rapid decrease in standardized growth scores (WAZ, HAZ, and WHZ) was observed after four to six months of age; a monotonous diet (re-hydrated milk, tortillas, beans, eggs, and chicken once a week) was identified as a contributing factor associated with undernutrition in children [10]. Our analysis could not take into account the effects of variation in time when children were first diagnosed with poor nutrition or the length of time that children remained undernourished.…”

“…In this study, most mothers (14/18) who identified themselves as not married were in union but never been married. Previous studies [9][10][11] conducted in Yucatan have not examined the relationship between mother's marital status and child undernutrition. It is possible that marital status is related to socioeconomic factors (e.g.…”

“…In 1996, a national survey conducted in rural communities in Mexico revealed that the state of Yucatan had the highest prevalence of infants diagnosed with undernutrition [9]. A community study conducted among 84 Maya children between one and sixty months of age revealed that child growth rapidly decreased after four to six months of age; a monotonous diet was identified as a contributing factor associated with undernutrition [10]. In another study, anthropometric data from school children in a Maya community in 1938, 1987, and 1998 revealed patterns of stunted children growing into overweight adults-as a result of a nutritional transition toward western-type diets and reduced physical activity [11].…”