Análisis de determinantes sociales de la desnutrición en Latinoamérica / Social determinants analysis of malnutrition in Latin America

Nuestro comportamiento alimentario se encuentra condicionado por variados determinantes socioculturales y adquiere muchos significados sociales. Reconociendo la enorme influencia de los condicionantes económicos, biológicos, ambientales, tecnológicos, políticos, etc., aquí nos interesamos por los de carácter más sociocultural. La alimentación de cualquier población puede determinarse por el nivel educativo, el empleo, el género y la edad, la diferenciación étnica, la cobertura social, las redes sociales de apoyo, el empoderamiento y la participación ciudadana, la cohesión social, etc., y se encuentra mediatizada por la conservación de tradiciones familiares o comunitarias (celebraciones, fiestas populares, actitudes hospitalarias, costumbres religiosas, tabúes…) por la publicidad y el marketing, y por otros factores socioculturales. La pobreza en Latinoamérica afecta a la tercera parte de población y la desnutrición a una sexta parte de la región. Aunque la educación ha mejorado en todos los países en las dos últimas décadas, todavía necesita progresar. La tasa de desempleo es mayor para los más pobres, las mujeres y los jóvenes, y es superior también en el ámbito rural y para la población indígena. Las mujeres sufren el doble que los varones las consecuencias de las crisis alimentarias. Y en relación al estado de salud y de la nutrición en las poblaciones indígenas se observa una menor esperanza de vida respecto al resto de la población, mayores tasas de mortalidad infantil, más pobreza, y más desnutrición y hambre entre los niños menores de cinco años y entre las mujeres pertenecientes a minorías étnicas y hogares pobres en zonas agrícolas (AU)

Our food conduct is influenced by several sociocultural determinants and acquires many social meanings. Recognizing the enormous influence of the economic, biological, environmental, technological, political conditions, etc., here we are interested for those of more socioculturalcharacter. The food of any population can be determined by the educational level, the employment, the gender and age, ethnic differentiation, social coverage, the social support networks, the empowerment and civil participation, the social cohesion, etc., and it is mediated by the preservation of familiar or community traditions (celebrations, festivals, hospitable attitudes, religious customs, taboos...) for advertising and marketing, and other sociocultural factors. Poverty in Latin America affects the third part of population and one sixth part of the region is undernourished. Although education has improved in all countries in last two decades, it still needs to progress. The unemployment rate is higher for the poorest, the women and youth, and is also higher in rural and indigenous populations. Women suffer the food crises consequences twice more than the men. And in relation to health and nutrition state, in indigenous populations we are observed a minor life expectancy compared of the rest of the population, higher infant mortality rates, more poverty, more hunger and malnutrition among children under five, and women from ethnic minorities and poor households in agricultural areas (AU)

[Physical exercise and food habits: a study of adolescents in Cádiz]. / Ejercicio físico y hábitos alimentarios: un estudio en adolescentes de Cádiz.

BACKGROUND: A increased number of eating disorders among teen-agers are currently being reported. Physical exercise, especially when done individually, is one of the methods chosen for losing weight. We are basing this study on the hypothesis of a larger number of eating habit disorders (EHD's) in subjects who do physical exercise alone. This study describes and compares eating habits among teen-agers that do individual exercise as opposed to athletes who work out in groups or on teams. METHOD: Cross-section study of 532 teen-agers ages 14-18 who are enrolled in school and who do physical exercise, having been selected at random by means of a two-stage, stratified sampling process. The subjects were divided into two groups according whether they did individual physical exercise alone (Number: 216) or in groups (Number: 316). The eating habits of both groups were analyzed based on a questionnaire filled out by the subjects themselves. RESULTS: In the group preferring individual sports, females were predominant (degree of males 0.44). Of these females, their being on diets in order to lose weight was 3.12 times more frequent, compulsive eating episodes being 3.73 times more frequent. As regards behaviors which might be considered to be compensatory, there is a clear concentration thereof among those who do sports individually, hence 43% stated to voluntarily undergo periods of fasting (4.96 times more than those who exercise in groups), 46% stating to have brought on vomiting at one time or another for "dieting" purposes (3.76 more) and up to 26% have used laxatives with the intention of losing weight (2.56 times more than among athletes who play on teams). CONCLUSION: The existence of EHD's seems to be associated with teen-agers who play individual sports as opposed to those who play on teams.