Dietary diversity and nutritional status in infants aged 6 to 23 months A single-center observational study.

Abstract

Introduction: The first two years of life are a critical period for children's nutrition. According to the 2011-2013 National Health and Nutrition Survey, approximately half of children aged 6 to 11 months lack access to an adequate variety of foods. The objective of this study was to assess the dietary diversity of children aged 6-23 months admitted to the Pediatric Clinic and Surgery area of a public hospital of regional reference in Cuenca, Ecuador, over 5 months.

Materials and methods: descriptive study; Interviews and review of medical records were used for data collection. Data tabulation and analysis were performed in SPSS 19, using measures of central tendency and distribution for quantitative variables and frequencies and percentages for qualitative variables. The sample comprised 171 children aged 6 to 23 months, hospitalized in the surgical area and the pediatric clinic at Vicente Corral Moscoso Hospital.

Results: The study analyzed 171 infants (52% girls), mostly living in urban areas (58.5%), with caregivers aged 20-35 years and with basic schooling. Pneumonia was the primary reason for admission (42.1%). The nutritional status was critical: 76.7% experienced wasting or severe wasting, whereas only 22.8% had normal weight. Regarding diet, the minimum adequate dietary diversity was 38.6%, which increased significantly with age (P < 0.001), reaching 50% after the first year. Dairy and vegetables rich in vitamin A account for more than 80% of consumption, while legumes and nuts are the least frequent. The frequency and acceptability of the diet also increase with age (P < 0.05), with no significant sex differences.

Conclusion: Infants have a critical nutritional situation, with a high prevalence of wasting. Although dietary diversity, frequency, and acceptability of the diet reach optimal levels proportionally with age, there are no differences by sex. There is evidence of adequate micronutrient intake, except for legumes and nuts, suggesting that malnutrition persists despite the observed dietary variety.