Differences in Nutritional and Health Status in School Children from the Highlands and Lowlands of Bolivia

Abstract

Children in the Bolivian Andes are exposed to endemic infections and meager nourishment, and live under poor hygienic conditions. The prevention of children malnutrition is a priority in many countries including Bolivia. In this study, the health status of schoolchildren in Taraco, a Puna district, at 4,000 meters above sea level (masl) and in Caranavi, at 650 masl in the wealthier subtropical valleys, was compared. The weight, height, and hematological and biochemical parameters in blood, parasites in stool, and clinical information in 120 children from rural Taraco and in 96 from semi-urban Caranavi, both predominantly of Aymara ethnicity, were registered. Eleven percent of Taraco children were undernourished compared with 3% in Caranavi. Instead, 41% of the children in Caranavi were obese or overweight, compared with 8% in Taraco. Anemia was found in 74% of the children in Taraco compared with 7% in Caranavi. Albumin levels were normal in all samples, albeit lower in Taraco. Similar and normal serum zinc levels were measured in both groups. Approximately 60% of the children in both locations showed insufficient vitamin D levels, with lower levels in Taraco children. and, parasites determinant of poor hygienic conditions, were respectively detected in 78% and 21% of fecal samples from Taraco, and in 29% and 8% of samples from Caranavi. We show increased anemia, nutritional deficiencies, and indications of poor hygienic conditions in highlands compared with lowlands. The prevalence of obesity in the lowlands demands addressing diverse nutritional deficiencies in the regions of Bolivia.

Double Burden of Excess Weight and Anemia in Latin American Children up to 2019

“…Poor hygiene conditions in communities of Bolivia highlands showed a greater prevalence of malnutrition and anemia, while children in the lowland population showed more overweight or obesity (Teran et al 2018). Another study revealed more than double the cases of anemia in the highland rural areas than those in the lowlands (Garrido-Salazar et al 2018).…”

The relationship between residential altitude and stunting: evidence from >26 000 children living in highlands and lowlands of Ethiopia

“…Evidence is scarce on the influence altitude on the growth of children in Ethiopia, albeit it bears one of the largest global highland populations as well as a great variation in residential altitude (20) . Other countries with a large highland population and varying residential altitude include Tibet (China), Nepal, Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Kazakhstan, Bolivia, Argentina, Bhutan and Switzerland (7,8,13) . Our finding of high growth faltering at high altitude was consistent with the findings of previous studies done in these highland countries.…”

“…The risk of stunting among Tibetan children residing in highlands was two to six times higher, compared with those residing in lowlands (9) . In Bolivia, the prevalence of stunting was six times higher in highlands than in lowlands (7,26) . In Argentina, the risk of stunting was twice higher in highlands than in lowlands (8) .…”

Physical Determinants of Vitamin D Photosynthesis: A Review

“…A study of 236 Bolivian children in lowlands (650 m) and highlands (4000 m), who had poor hygiene and nourishment, as well as endemic infections, found a slightly higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the highlands group; the proportion in both groups was approximately 60%. (86) A sample of 1222 children from two locations above 1000 m in Himachal Pradesh, India, showed a deficiency of approximately 80%. (87) Latitude Higher latitudes are associated with larger SZAs that result in lower total UVB irradiances but with an increased diffuse component caused by UVR scattering and decreased vitamin Deffective UVB.…”