Unbalanced Macronutrient Intakes, Multiple Micronutrient Inadequacies, and Diarrhea Underscore Low-Height-for-Age in Indigenous Panamanian Preschool Children.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In remote indigenous Panamanian subsistence farming communities, poor diet, diarrhea, and Ascaris may have seasonally distinct contributions to high rates of stunting in preschool children.

Objectives

This study explored the relative contributions of food, nutrient intakes, and infections (diarrhea and intestinal nematodes) to height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) during a dry and rainy season in Panama's Comarca Ngäbe-Buglé.

Methods

This prospective community-based study collected sociodemographic and health data from 328, 12‒59-mo-old children in both the dry and rainy seasons. Diets were assessed in nonbreastfeeding children using a food frequency questionnaire and a 24-h recall during both seasons. Bivariate comparisons between stunted and nonstun

SUBMITTER: Scott ME 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12512998 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature