Peer-reviewed article
Preschoolers in severely food insecure Guatemalan Mayan households consume a monotonous grain-based diet.
Michele Monroy-Valle, Maira Ruano Estrada, María Del Carmen Caamaño, Karla Cordón-Arrivillaga, Ginny Lane et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined the diets of 155 Mayan children aged 2 to 5 years in Guatemala, over half of whom were stunted. Children in severely food-insecure households consumed monotonous grain-based diets lacking essential nutrients like omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids, calcium and choline. The research identified two dietary patterns: a grain-based pattern with high cereal drinks and corn meals, and a dairy-poultry-corn pattern. The study suggests that dietary monotony and poor nutritional quality are contributors to high stunting rates, though other factors also play a role.
Key points
- Stunting affected 53.5% of the children in the sample
- 81.9% of families experienced food insecurity, with 61.6% living in rural areas
- Children in severely food-insecure households were significantly more likely to consume a grain-based dietary pattern
- Low intake of omega-3, omega-6 fatty acids, calcium and choline was documented across the sample
- Stunted children on grain-based diets consumed more calories from grain-based drinks than any other food group
Limitations
This is a cross-sectional study, so it cannot establish causality or determine whether poor diet causes stunting or vice versa. The findings are specific to Mayan communities in Guatemala and may not generalize to other populations.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stunting, also known as growth retardation, is a prominent health challenge for Mayan children, stemming from the complex interaction of malnutrition, inflammation, limited healthcare access, poverty, and food insecurity. Diet plays a key role in early childhood growth. A monotonous diet may lack essential nutrients, potentially affecting growth and developmental trajectories. Our objective was to explore the dietary patterns of Guatemalan Mayan children, comparing stunted children to those with typical growth. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 155 Mayan children aged 2 to 5 years in Guatemala. Dietary intake was assessed using three 24-hour recalls. A questionnaire assessed WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) service availability and household food insecurity via the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Additionally, we measured weight, height, age, body composition, and recent common childhood communicable diseases (CCCD). The dietary data was analyzed based on two approaches: The nutrient approach yields the prevalence of inadequacy, and A-posteriori approach using K-means cluster analysis informed about the dietary pattern of the sample, including types of foods, and their energy contribution to the diet. RESULTS: Stunting affected 53.5% of the children, and nearly half of the children (49.7%) had experienced one or more recent CCCD. The majority resided in food-insecure households (81.9%), with more than half located in rural areas (61.6%). They had a low intake of omega-3, omega-6 fatty calcium and choline. We found two distinct dietary patterns: the grain-based diet, represented by high intakes of cereal-based drinks and corn-based meals. The second was a dairy, poultry, and corn dietary pattern; distinguished by higher consumption of dairy products and poultry. CONCLUSION: Significantly more children living in severely food insecure households consumed a grain-based dietary pattern. The stunted children on the grain-based diet consumed more calories from grain-based drinks than any other food group. Beyond dietary monotony and poor nutritional quality, additional factors likely contribute to the high stunting rate, requiring further investigation.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
Problem
Stunting (growth retardation) in young Mayan children due to malnutrition and food insecurity
- Intervention
- Dietary assessment and comparison of stunted versus normally-growing children to identify dietary patterns associated with food insecurity
- Population
- 155 Mayan children aged 2 to 5 years in Guatemala, 53.5% stunted, 81.9% in food-insecure households
Key finding
53.5% of children were stunted