Dietary diversity and malnutrition: the case of schoolchildren in Teupasenti

Abstract

Malnutrition is a global challenge. The objective of this study was to evaluate dietary diversity, nutritional status,
and academic performance among schoolchildren in the urban area of the municipality of Teupasenti, Honduras. A
descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 81 schoolchildren aged 6 to 11 years. A
sociodemographic and dietary diversity survey was administered, anthropometric measurements were taken and analyzed
with AnthroPlus® 1.0.4, and final grades for the school year were considered to assess academic performance. Statistical
analysis was performed in JASP® 0.18.3 with p < 0.05. The mean age was 8 years, with 45 girls and 36 boys. Although all
showed an acceptable level of dietary diversity, the dietary pattern was based on staple grains and sugars, with low intake
of fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. In terms of nutritional status, 67.9% were normal, 11.1% were underweight, 14.8%
were overweight, 6.2% were obese, and 3.7% were stunted, showing the coexistence of malnutrition due to deficiency and
excess, affecting 35.8% of schoolchildren. When exploring the relationship between dietary diversity, nutritional status, and
academic performance, no direct association was identified. These results point to the need to strengthen food education and
improve school feeding programs by incorporating foods of higher nutritional quality. In addition, strategies are needed to
promote local production and access to healthy foods to contribute to the prevention of malnutrition among Honduran
children.