Childhood malnutrition in three ecological zones in western Jamaica

This paper examines the nutritional status of children in urban, rural upland and rural lowland zones in Western Jamaica. The objectives of the paper were to identify ecological zones in which people are at greater or lesser risk of malnutrition and to determine changes in nutritional status since 1978. Information on weight and height was collected from 773 children under three years of age from three ecological areas. The urban zone was the best off nutritionally, with the rural lowland zone being the worse and the rural upland zone intermediate. Cropping pattern and job opportunity appear to be contributing factors for differences between zones, and consequently childhood malnutrition. In addition, malnutrition levels among children less than three years old increased significantly between 1978 and 1984. Community development programmes aimed at meeting the basic needs of the poor should be introduced into primary health care nutrition programmes.

Key words:

• nutritional status
• Jamaica
• functional classification
• ecological zones
• malnutrition
• community development
• cropping pattern