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Deaths due to malnutrition in children under five in Colombia, 2015-2023: a spatiotemporal analysis

Deissy R Agudelo-Ibáñez1, Daniel Diaz2, Maylen L Rojas-Botero3

  • 1Escuela de Salud Pública de México, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico.

Frontiers in Public Health
|July 13, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Child malnutrition deaths in Colombia disproportionately affect infants and males, with significant geographical disparities. Understanding these trends is crucial for targeted interventions to reduce child mortality.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Child mortality due to malnutrition remains a significant public health issue in Colombia.
  • Previous analyses have not comprehensively addressed this problem over the last decade.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To conduct a comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis of malnutrition mortality in children under 5 years (CU5) in Colombia.
  • To examine national and subnational trends disaggregated by sex and age group from 2015 to 2023.

Main Methods:

  • Ecological study utilizing secondary data sources.
  • Malnutrition mortality defined by ICD-10 codes (D50-D53, E40-E64, P07).
  • Analysis included descriptive statistics, mapping, and joinpoint regression for temporal trends.

Main Results:

  • Between 2015-2023, 2,694 (3.6%) of 75,068 CU5 deaths were due to malnutrition.
  • Children under 1 year (CU1) and males were most affected.
  • Significant geographical disparities were noted, with Chocó Department showing a marked increase in mortality rates.

Conclusions:

  • Malnutrition deaths in Colombian children exhibit disparities by sex, age, and geography.
  • Heterogeneous trends over the study period highlight the need for nuanced understanding.
  • Findings can inform targeted interventions to reduce child malnutrition mortality.
Abstract

Keywords:
child malnutritionhealth trendsinfant mortalityregional disparitiesspatial analysis

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