Results of nutritional status surveillance in El Salvador, 1975-77

Nutritional status surveillance data based on the clinical diagnosis of malnutrition and on weight-for-age, as well as diarrhoeal disease data for preschool age children attending government health clinics in El Salvador are presented for a 3-year period (1975 - 77). Surveillance results indicated consistently higher rates of clinical malnutrition and weight-for-age deficit in rural children as compared with urban children, and higher malnutrition rates in children 1 - 4 years of age as compared with infants less than 1 year old. Consistent seasonal increases in malnutrition were observed that were most pronounced in older preschool children (1 - 4 years) in rural areas. Seasonal peaks in malnutrition consistently followed 1 - 2 months after the major seasonal peak in diarrhoea at the onset of the rainy season, suggesting that diarrhoea may play a role in the etiology of malnutrition. A secondary seasonal peak in diarrhoea in the cooler, dry season was most prominent in infants but was not related to increased malnutrition. These results indicate that nutritional and health status indicators formed from data collected regularly at health centres can demonstrate consistent age group, urban/rural, and seasonal differences in nutritional status that may be useful in identifying risk groups and in monitoring nutritional changes for planning and evaluation purposes.