Feeding Children in a Rural Area: Proper Nutrition and Psycho-Social Development

Children nutrition in early life plays a relevant role not only in general health but also in development, with special regards to school performances and attention. Desarrollo Integral de la Juventud Oaxaqueña (DIJO) is a nongovernmental association which since 1993 has developed programs directed towards the education of children, youth and families in and around the city of Oaxaca. This study was performed from February 2009 to July 2011, and involved a total of 286 children from 1st to 6th grade. The principal aim was to assess the results of the Educational intervention performed in the colonies of Monte Alban, Tlalixtac and Xoxocotlan, Oaxaca, Mexico. Two types of questionnaires were administered to children. The first one, shorter, consisted in 16 questions, divided into 4 areas of investigation: communication, comprehension, artistic expression and development. The second questionnaire was an expanded version of the previous one, administered in Monte Alban colony. When considered the data of the whole number of participants, the evaluation of total score of all the groups showed a significant improvement from the initial phase to the final one (p<0.001). After performing a multiple comparison of the three phases of the cycle (initial-final, intermediate-final, initialintermediate), the results indicated a significant improvement when considering all initial phases initial (p<0.001). The results were all consistent in showing a significant improvement in all considered domains, proving therefore the successfulness of the method in addressing both facets of the problem.