Tesis previs a la obtencion del titulo de licenciado en nutricion y dietetica, Universidad Technica del Norte, Facultad Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Nutricion y Dietetica. / Abstract in spanish and English.

Tesis Previa a la Obtencion de la Licenciatura en Nutricion y Dietetica, Universidad Téchnica del Norte, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Escuela de Nutricion y Dietetica, Escuela de Nutricion y Dietetica. / Abstract in Spanish and English.

Thesis (Licenciado en Nutricion y Dietetica)--Universidad Tecnica del Norte. Facultad Ciencias de la Salud Escuela de Nutricion y Dietetica. / Abstract in Spanish and English.

Thesis (Licenciada en nutricion y dietica) Universidad Technica del Norte. Escuela de Nutricion y Dietetica. / Abstract in Spanish and English.

Thesis (Licenciada en nutricion y dietica) Universidad Technica del Norte. Escuela de Nutricion y Dietetica. / Abstract in Spanish and English.

The problems of social-economics, culture, politics, and health, among those, are factors that influence both directly and indirectly the style of life of hundreds of thousands of people, due to the lack of economic resources, unemployment, poverty, their own culture can lead to a more serious state of health, consequently causing problems of their nutritional state, such as obesity in its varying degrees of malnutrition, in addition to the presence of preventable illnesses such as acute respiratory disease (IRA), that seriously affect the infant population. Factors, consequences, everything becomes one vicious circle that can be broken thereby preventing more deaths that could be averted with time. Faced with this situation, in general, alarming people, the need to conduct an investigation is imposed in the field, in social awareness of the turning point that rural areas are faced with, in my case the rural area of the province of Imbabura, taking rural communities belonging to the three predominant ethnicities in our province, which are Indigenous, Black, and Mixed-Race. A realistic study of these areas safely projected confidant results, since its base will be the taking of anthropometric measurements (weight-height) with children under the age of 5, surveys about the presence of IRA in mothers of these children, with the purpose of subsequently establishing a relation between the nutritional state, IIRA, ethnicity of the study population. I hope that this work and its results are constituted as an element and factor of change towards the welfare of these sectors, those in need and vulnerable, it is clear, in collaboration with government organization, health team, and over all the community participation, with the sole purpose of improving this situation and of achieving a better development of these sectors and of the country in general.

The study conducted in the rural area of the province of Imbabura included a total of 518 families that when compared with the estimated sample of 96%, 42.7 % corresponding to the indigenous ethnic group, 28.15% to Black and 25% to mixed-race ethnic groups, these differences of involvement between ethnic groups is due to the fact that the indigenous population is greater than the two remaining populations. Of the 518 families studied they were able to obtain a total of 794 children younger than 5, in which 48.5% pertaining to the male sex and 51.4% to the female sex. In linking the number of participating families and the number of children studied we were able to find that mothers have 1 to 2 children younger than the age of 5 in every family. In evaluating the nutritional state of the 794 studied children, 47.09% were found to have global malnutrition (P/E), 67.26% presented a chronic malnutrition that is to say a lower height for their age, whereas 13.97% presented an acute malnutrition, a percentage that doesn’t attract attention due to what I have already noted previously with children presenting low height and weight for their age when using the indicated weight/height, the nutritional state of the children is appropriate. The nutritional state of children under the age of 5, by considering the indicators of weight/age and height/age, identified the indigenous ethnicity having major problems of malnutrition (54% and 80.97%) respectively, while the two remaining ethnic groups have presented similar percentages. The opposite occurs with the indicator of weight/height, which detected that the Black ethnic group presented a major nutritional deterioration (24%) unlike the other two ethnic groups, we believe that this difference is due to indigenous children presenting a diminished height, consequently when we use the indicator of weight/height, an adequate weight for height is presented. According to the magnitude of diarrheal processes we find that 28.34% of children presented EDA, the indigenous ethnicity being that with the highest percentage (12.84%) in relation to the other two ethnic groups. According to the severity of the diarrheal processes, light EDA presents the highest percentage with 62.67%, with the indigenous ethnicity being affected the most, moderate EDA presents a 34.22% similarly affecting the indigenous ethnicity and severe EDA presents a 3.11% with the mixed-race ethnicity being the most affected. Relating the nutritional state with acute diarrheal illnesses, considering the indicators of weight/age and height/age, we find that the indigenous population is mostly affected in nutritional state as well as in the presence of EDA. Malnourished children present a higher number of diarrheal processes. Considering the indicator of weight/height, diarrhea is more frequent in children with a normal nutritional state, with the Black ethnicity that which presents the greater percentage of EDA in normal and malnourished children. For this reason, it is urgent that national programs of health and alimentation are defined and implemented in order to combat the nutritional problem and ensure an adequate supply of food for the whole population, improving the conditions of health and environmental sanitation in order to reduce the high rates of malnutrition, diarrhea and acute respiratory infections.

The parasitosis in the tropical countries like Ecuador, are found in the different population groups of all ages, sexes, social conditions, ethnic groups, especially in those without hygienic conditions, pertaining to different geographic zones and the prevalence varies in agreement with the ecology, the human factors and the social economic characteristics. The fecal contamination on land and water where an adequate disposition of excretes, the surrounding conditions, the deficient living conditions, the rural life, the absence of bathrooms, the custom to not use shoes and to have contact with the water. The deficiency of hygienic education, contamination of foods and human migration all favor intestinal parasites. The parasitic plague in Ecuador and especially in the province of Imbabura is not very well known, this is because of the little attention and economical means that are given to an investigation. This investigation clearly points out the different concepts, definitions, consequences, treatments and prophylaxis that the community should take into account. This investigative work was done in the rural area of the Imbabura province for the following ethnic groups: Indigenous, Black, and Mestizo, with children younger than five years old and it is directed to the health personnel, and students It is estimated that in the whole world more than 20 million people are infected by the "himenolepsis" parasite. The Intestinal parasite has a direct relation with the Nutritional state of any given country, as well as the basic services, like water, collection of trash, elimination of excretes, illiteracy, bad family hygiene habits, and a healthy environment. This is how 40 thousand children die of hunger in the world daily, the difference here is an American child eats 500 times more than third world child. The lack of interest by the governments both international and national in health Programs in rural zones, impedes a solution being found. 50% of investigations are dedicated to the advancements in military, which also influences the lack of water, 3 billion people in the world lack drinkable water. There are many forms of exposure to the parasite, including, ground (garbage or trash left on floor) or contaminated water, contaminated food, biting insects, domestic or wild animals which have the parasite, another person, and their clothes or bed sheets. The most common of these being contaminated water. There are many reasons these parasites are found in higher numbers in third world countries. The lack of healthiness in the rural population increases the intestinal parasite in children under five years old, the lack of knowledge by part of the mothers on the consequences of the intestinal parasites. Bad hygiene habits that the mothers have as well as the children under five years old in not washing their hands before eating and after using the restroom add to the rapid spread of the parasite. The nutritional state of the children greatly increases exposure, mostly concerning food preparation. The presence of intestinal parasites in the children under five years old does the same damage with no importance to age, race, or sex. The bad form in which excretes are eliminated in the town also contributes to parasite spreading. To fight against further parasite spreading it is advised that a program of investigation is applied with many disciplinary teams including: Doctors, Epidemists, Microbiologists, Anthropologist, Nutritionists, and nurses to study and help find solution for the well-being of the areas that most need it. To also help, it is advised that Nutritionists, Nurses, Doctors, and people who have direct knowledge of what is health, capacitate the leaders of the community and citizens on the basic hygiene norms, including preparation and manipulation of foods, consequences and ways to prevent parasites. This would help slow the rapid spread of parasites among youth as well as adults. Have meetings teaching proper use of bathrooms both private and public in rural areas, to avoid massive parasite contamination. It is important to teach families that they should treat the water before drinking it because water has a direct link with parasite spreading. Demand that government pay more attention to health issues in rural communities.

Various studies have been done to determine the prevalence of anemia in our country, but these studies don't reflect the true magnitude of this sickness, considered in Ecuador a problem of public health since these investigations correspond to urban sectors and margins and not to rural places where the care is very deficient and in certain cases useless, mainly because of the difficult access and the lack of economic resources of the government institutions. The current work was realized in coordination with the school of Nutrition and Dietetics and with the help of the Benson Agriculture and Food Institute was applied in rural communities of the Indigenous, "Mixed-Race" and African-American of Imbabura taking into account kids under the age of 5 as being a population group in constant risk of suffering specific deficiencies, such as Iron deficiency and its subsequent evolution towards Anemia. In this investigation we are going to find information about the prevalence of Anemia in the before mentioned groups of kids, their relationship with the deficiency of the consumption of Iron, influence of one of the most common sicknesses in these sectors as are Intestinal Parasitism. I am sure that the content will be of enormous interest to those that desire to know and better the critical situation of health and nutrition which unwinds this people, because of the provision of updated and truthful information will permit a better orientation of the different programs and projects that are implemented in these areas.