Anemia and Nutritional Status of Children in Highland Indigenous Communities: A Cross-Sectional Study in Chimborazo, Ecuador
Keywords:
anemia, adolescent pregnancy, indigenous peoples, nutritional status, feeding behavior, social determinants of health, Bayes TheoremAbstract
Introduction: In indigenous contexts, child nutrition may be influenced by maternal age and suboptimal feeding practices. Anemia, common in these populations, often coexists with malnutrition, worsening child health outcomes.
Objective: To evaluate the association between maternal age, feeding practices, and contextual factors with the presence of anemia and malnutrition among Indigenous Andean children in Ecuador.
Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted based on 386 mother-child pairs (children aged six to 59 months) from rural Indigenous communities. Bivariate analyses and Bayesian logistic regression models were applied. Two models were developed: one assessing the association between adolescent motherhood (< 20 years) and child nutritional conditions, and another examining factors associated with anemia, using maternal age as a continuous variable. Results were expressed as odds ratios (OR) with 95% credible intervals (CrI).
Results: Adolescent motherhood was associated with increased risk of child malnutrition and anemia. Each additional year of maternal age was associated with a reduced risk of childhood anemia. Childhood malnutrition was strongly associated with anemia. No significant associations were observed for child sex, geographic altitude, or nutritional supplementation.
Conclusions: Adolescent motherhood is associated with an increased risk of anemia and malnutrition in Indigenous Andean children. Prospective studies and targeted interventions for young mothers in high nutritional risk settings are warranted.
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References
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Copyright (c) 2026 Santiago Vasco-Morales, Luis Humberto Calle Campos, Paola Cristina Toapanta Pinta, Valeria Elizabeth Jerez CXampoverde, Daniel Esteban Ortega Larrea, Antonio Andrés Cerón Caicedo
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