A Feasibility Study to Examine Clinical Variables of Childhood Malnutrition in Guatemala
Morgan E Braxton1, Carlos R Melendez2, Kim L Larson2
1Arizona State University, Pheonix, AZ, USA.
Insights
This pilot study in Guatemala found data gaps in tracking child malnutrition recovery. Improved clinical variable reporting is needed at Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRCs) to better assess outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Nutrition Science
Background:
- Guatemala faces high rates of child malnutrition, ranking fifth globally.
- Nutrition Rehabilitation Centers (NRCs) are critical for addressing this issue.
- Feasibility of clinical data collection for malnutrition outcomes requires evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of collecting key clinical variables for child malnutrition.
- To examine data availability for assessing recovery at a Guatemalan NRC.
- To inform improvements in reporting child health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Secondary data analysis of 42 children admitted and discharged from an NRC in 2018.
- Review of 12 clinical variables including demographics, diagnoses, medications, and time-to-discharge.
- Kaplan-Meier analysis to explore time-to-discharge based on age.
Main Results:
- Significant data gaps were identified, specifically the lack of height and weight measurements at discharge.
- Inability to accurately verify time-to-recovery due to data limitations.
- Mean age was 23 months; median time-to-discharge was 48 days, with younger children showing slower recovery trends.
Conclusions:
- The study highlights critical data deficiencies in current malnutrition reporting at NRCs.
- Recommendations include enhancing data collection protocols for accurate outcome assessment.
- International partnerships can support research on malnutrition and recovery metrics.
Abstract:
Introduction: Guatemala is the country with the highest rate of malnutrition in Latin America and fifth highest worldwide. The objective of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility of examining clinical variables of malnutrition among a subset of children at a Guatemalan Nutrition Rehabilitation Center (NRC). Methods: The study was conducted using a secondary dataset of children admitted and discharged at the NRC in 2018. A total of 42 cases were reviewed. The 12 clinical variables were age, gender, height, weight, nutrition status, referral, diet, secondary diagnoses, medications, supplements, discharge disposition, and time-to-discharge. Results: The two major findings were (a) the lack of access to height and weight at discharge and (b) the inability to verify time-to-recovery. Mean age of participants was 23 months (SD = 12.9). All children were discharged home; median time-to-discharge was 48 days. The Kaplan-Meier analyses indicated that children <2 had slower time-to-discharge (51 days), compared to those older than age 2 (32 days); though not statistically significant. Conclusion: Findings of this study provide valuable data to inform ways NRC leadership can better report child health outcomes. International community-academic partnership could contribute to understanding malnutrition and time-to-recovery.
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