Nutritional Follow-Up in Indigenous Children Under Five Years in Colombia

Indigenous children in La Guajira, Colombia, live in a context of structural vulnerability that may compromise growth and nutritional status. This study aimed to characterize anthropometric patterns and longitudinal nutritional changes in Wayúu children under five years of age.

A quantitative cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 398 children from 27 Wayúu communities in Manaure, La Guajira, Colombia, with an exploratory longitudinal follow-up subgroup assessed over an 8-month period. Anthropometric measurements were obtained by trained pediatricians and classified using standard WHO growth references. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed for the full sample, and exploratory longitudinal changes were assessed in the follow-up subgroup.

At baseline, 92.46% of children presented at least one nutritional alteration, and 89.95% had malnutrition or nutritional impairment. Stunting was the most frequent condition (60.1%), whereas acute malnutrition was less common. In the exploratory longitudinal subgroup, 41.67% of children showed descriptive changes in at least one anthropometric indicator, with a significant increase in nutritional risk between visits. Older children showed significantly lower weight-for-age and height-for-age values than younger children, while no significant differences were observed by sex.

Wayúu children under five years in Manaure show a pattern dominated by chronic growth impairment with worsening anthropometric indicators over time. These findings highlight the need for sustained, culturally adapted, and multisectoral strategies to prevent and manage childhood malnutrition in Indigenous populations.