[Stunting risk factors in 5-year-old children]

A retrospective study of ninety two boys and one hundred and four girls at the age of five years was made with the purpose of identifying Stunting Risk Factors. "Case" was defined as a five years-old child/with height/age < 95% of the median NCHS norm and "control" as a child with height/age > 95% of the median of the same norm. Seventy six biological, psicoaffective, nutritional and socioeconomic-cultural variables were analysed on the children and their families. Data were obtained from interviews and clinical histories' revision. Odds Ratio, at a P confidence interval of 95%, Mantel-Haenszel x2, Wolf Test and Anova were calculated. Significative risk factors were: masculine sex, mother height < 1.50 cm, intergenesic interval less than 33 months referred to the immediate elder born, negligent mother, numerous family, crowded family, unadequate excrete disposition and having one undernourished brother or sister. Variance analysis also showed significant differences for: birth height, negligent mistreaing, physical mistreaing, repeated parasitic episodes, and birth order superior to third son.