Malnutrition prevalence in children under 5 years old in Tabasco, Mexico.

Objective. To evaluate malnutrition prevalence in children under five years-old in Tabasco, Mexico, during 1996, and their evolution in 1991-1996. Material and methods. A cross-sectional study, including 1 256 children under five years-old in 593 communities (31 urban and 562 rural) from 17 sanitary districts. Results. The weight/age indicator for malnutrition in children under five years old showed 59% of children had normal nutrition and 41% with malnutrition, distributed as follows: 26.12% slight, 12.62% moderate and 2.39% severe. In children between 1-5 years old, malnutrition prevalence was 45%. Conclusions. The number of children with malnutrition in Tabasco during the study period (1991-1996) has decreased in proportion to the increase of those with normal nutrition. Based on the health system activities, the number of health districts with critical malnutrition indicators decreased from 6 to 4.