A socio-environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of Argentina

Background: Malnutrition, defined as an imbalance in macro- and micronutrient intake, mainly affects children and adolescents. In Argentina, both underweight and overweight are prevalent. Socioeconomic and environmental factors, including food environments, play a crucial role in the incidence of t...

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Main Authors: Micaela Natalia Campero, Gabriel David Torres, Trinidad Allende Martinez, María Paz Pistelli, Rosana Elizabeth Maidana, Carlos Matias Scavuzzo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad de Antioquia 2025-08-01
Series:Vitae
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Online Access:https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/vitae/article/view/360199
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author Micaela Natalia Campero
Gabriel David Torres
Gabriel David Torres
Trinidad Allende Martinez
María Paz Pistelli
Rosana Elizabeth Maidana
Carlos Matias Scavuzzo
author_facet Micaela Natalia Campero
Gabriel David Torres
Gabriel David Torres
Trinidad Allende Martinez
María Paz Pistelli
Rosana Elizabeth Maidana
Carlos Matias Scavuzzo
author_sort Micaela Natalia Campero
collection DOAJ
description Background: Malnutrition, defined as an imbalance in macro- and micronutrient intake, mainly affects children and adolescents. In Argentina, both underweight and overweight are prevalent. Socioeconomic and environmental factors, including food environments, play a crucial role in the incidence of this problem in vulnerable communities. The aim was to analyze the relationship between community food environments and malnutrition in children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years in community kitchens in Patagonia, NEA and NOA of the Argentine territory in the year 2021. Materials and methods: Correlational ecological study. A non-probabilistic sample was used to select 449 community kitchens in Patagonia, NEA and NOA. The environmental and socioeconomic characteristics of the community kitchens were extracted from open data sources and satellite images. Thematic mapping, summary measures and Poisson regressions were performed to examine the relationship between the prevalence of malnutrition and socioeconomic and environmental variables (p<0.05).Results: The NOA region has the highest concentration of community kitchens (n=225), with a high prevalence of low height in Salta (10.78%) and low weight in Formosa (6.46%). In socioeconomic terms, the NEA presents the highest marginality (51.82%) and scarcity of drinking water (22.96%). In Patagonia, critical (41.3%) and high (28.26%) levels of food insecurity predominate, while in the NEA the risks are lower, with a predominance of low (28.65%) and very low (25.84%) risks. Conclusion: Geostatistical tools are novel for the study of CAE, facilitating a complete vision of the environment to address the various problems related to food. Keywords: Child malnutrition, Community Food Environment, Geomatics, Food Insecurity, Community Kitchens.
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spelling doaj-art-6857daa1cc8d445e89728d5e188046152025-08-20T03:43:58ZengUniversidad de AntioquiaVitae0121-40042145-26602025-08-0132210.17533/udea.vitae.v32n2a360199A socio-environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of ArgentinaMicaela Natalia Campero0Gabriel David Torres1Gabriel David Torres2Trinidad Allende Martinez3María Paz Pistelli4Rosana Elizabeth Maidana5Carlos Matias Scavuzzo6Fundación InnovaComunidadFundación InnovaComunidadFundación InnovaComunidadNational University of CórdobaFundación InnovaComunidadNational University of CórdobaInstituto de Altos Estudios Espaciales "Mario Gulich" CONAE-UNC CONICET Background: Malnutrition, defined as an imbalance in macro- and micronutrient intake, mainly affects children and adolescents. In Argentina, both underweight and overweight are prevalent. Socioeconomic and environmental factors, including food environments, play a crucial role in the incidence of this problem in vulnerable communities. The aim was to analyze the relationship between community food environments and malnutrition in children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 years in community kitchens in Patagonia, NEA and NOA of the Argentine territory in the year 2021. Materials and methods: Correlational ecological study. A non-probabilistic sample was used to select 449 community kitchens in Patagonia, NEA and NOA. The environmental and socioeconomic characteristics of the community kitchens were extracted from open data sources and satellite images. Thematic mapping, summary measures and Poisson regressions were performed to examine the relationship between the prevalence of malnutrition and socioeconomic and environmental variables (p<0.05).Results: The NOA region has the highest concentration of community kitchens (n=225), with a high prevalence of low height in Salta (10.78%) and low weight in Formosa (6.46%). In socioeconomic terms, the NEA presents the highest marginality (51.82%) and scarcity of drinking water (22.96%). In Patagonia, critical (41.3%) and high (28.26%) levels of food insecurity predominate, while in the NEA the risks are lower, with a predominance of low (28.65%) and very low (25.84%) risks. Conclusion: Geostatistical tools are novel for the study of CAE, facilitating a complete vision of the environment to address the various problems related to food. Keywords: Child malnutrition, Community Food Environment, Geomatics, Food Insecurity, Community Kitchens. https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/vitae/article/view/360199Child malnutritionCommunity Food EnvironmentGeomaticsFood InsecurityCommunity Kitchens
spellingShingle Micaela Natalia Campero
Gabriel David Torres
Gabriel David Torres
Trinidad Allende Martinez
María Paz Pistelli
Rosana Elizabeth Maidana
Carlos Matias Scavuzzo
A socio-environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of Argentina
Vitae
Child malnutrition
Community Food Environment
Geomatics
Food Insecurity
Community Kitchens
title A socio-environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of Argentina
title_full A socio-environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of Argentina
title_fullStr A socio-environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of Argentina
title_full_unstemmed A socio-environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of Argentina
title_short A socio-environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of Argentina
title_sort socio environmental analysis methodology for child malnutrition in community kitchens in high socioeconomic vulnerability areas of argentina
topic Child malnutrition
Community Food Environment
Geomatics
Food Insecurity
Community Kitchens
url https://revistas.udea.edu.co/index.php/vitae/article/view/360199
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