Nutritional situation of indigenous women Rama of the South Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua

Abstract

In the female population of the Rama ethnic group of the South Caribbean Coast of Nicaragua, it is common to observe adult women who appear overweight or obese. However, there was a lack of studies that would bring us closer to their real nutritional status, in order to take pertinent actions and reverse and/or improve inadequate nutrition due to food excess or deficiency. The objective was to describe eating habits, physical activities and lifestyles, relating them to the nutritional status of women between 20-59 years of age. Surveys were applied to 56 participants, food and exercise information was collected, weight (kilogram) and height (meters) were taken, to calculate the body mass index. The results show that 2% of the population is underweight, 29% is overweight and 43% has some degree of obesity, which is related to the type of diet based predominantly on fish, shellfish, tubers, grains, cereals., fats and fried foods with a diet poor in consumption of fruits and vegetables, which is also related to the lack of physical activity. Only 29% of the population performs physical activities. The results of this study raise the need to develop programs that contribute to improving the nutritional status in the community, which as a consequence reduces the risk of suffering from chronic diseases.