Nutritional Status of a Group of Children Under Five Suffering from Malaria in a Timor Leste District Estado nutricional de un grupo de ni os menores de cinco a os, con malaria, en un distrito de Timor Leste

Background: Malaria is a health problem in underdeveloped countries. The child population is particularly vulnerable. Objective: to determine the nutritional status of children under five suffering from malaria who attended a clinic in Timor Leste. Method: a descriptive, correlational study was conducted. The sample consisted of 435 children under five years old, diagnosed with malaria, who attended consultation from June 2008 to July 2009. Nutritional status was evaluated. A medical history demographic, socioeconomic and Plasmodium type data was obtained. Results: 254 children (58.4%) were in the group from 2 to 4 years old. Most children (415, 95.4%) had no toilet or piped water in their homes. The average number of people living in the house is 8.3; 5.6 per room. Females were predominant with 50.3%, as well as rural children 402 (92.4%). Most children (84.6%) are undernourished. Statistical relationship was found between nutritional status and age (X2 = 7.44, df = 1, p = 0.01) and nutritional status and sex (X2 = 14.37, df = 1, p = 0, 01). A higher frequency of moderate malnutrition was observed in children with malaria (41; 61.2%). Plasmodium vivax was highly frequent, being present in 299 children (68.7%). Conclusion: children from 0 to 1 year of age are 2 to 4 times more likely to experience malnutrition. Females are between 2 and 5 times more likely to be undernourished than other children with malaria. Fundamento: la malaria constituye un problema de salud en países subdesarrollados y la población infantil es vulnerable a padecerla. Objetivo: determinar el estado nutricional de ni os menores de cinco a os con malaria, atendidos en una Clínica de Timor Leste. Método: estudio descriptivo-correlacional en los 435 ni os menores de cinco a os, con diagnóstico de malaria, atendidos en consulta, entre junio/2008–junio/2009. Fue evaluado el estado nutricional, se obtuvieron de la historia clínica datos demográficos, socioeconómicos y tipo de Plasmodium. Resultados: en el grupo de 2-4 a os se encontraban 254 ni os (58,4 %). La mayor parte de los ni os, 415 no tenían servicio sanitario ni agua de acueducto en sus viviendas (95,4 % respectivamente). El número promedio de personas que dormían en la casa es de 8,3, el de individuos por habitación 5,6. Predominó el sexo femenino con 50,3 % y los ni os de procedencia rural 402 (92,4 %). El mayor porcentaje de ni os no estaba desnutrido (84,6 %). Se encontró relación estadística entre el estado nutricional y la edad (X2=7,44; gl=1; p=0,01) y el estado nutricional y el sexo (X2=14,37; gl=1; p=0,01). Se observó m