Chronic malnutrition affected 11.7% of the population under five years of age in 2022

In the year 2022, the chronic malnutrition affected 11.7% of girls and boys under five years of age in the country, a figure greater than 0.2 percentage point higher than that recorded in the year 2021; this was reported by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) when presenting the results of the Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES 2022).

 

According to the residency area, the prevalence of this deficiency reached 7.1% of girls and boys under five years of age residing in the urban area and 23.9% of this population group in the rural area.

 

The departments that had the highest incidence of chronic malnutrition in girls and boys under five years of age are Huancavelica (29.9%), Loreto (21.8%) and Amazonas (21.7%). In contrast, those with the lowest incidence were Tacna (2.8%) and Moquegua (2.9%), among the main ones.

 

During the year 2022, 9.1% of girls and boys under five years of age had overweight and obesity, 0.5 percentage point higher than in 2021. By natural region, it was higher on the coast (13.2%), followed by the Peruvian Sierra (4.9%) and Peruvian jungle (4.2%)

 

At national level, the prevalence of anemia in the population from 6 to 35 months of age was 42.4%, with a greater proportion being recorded in the rural area (51.5%), than in the urban area (39.0%). In addition, a higher incidence was reported in the Peruvian jungle (52.5%) than in the Peruvian Sierra (50.4%) and the Coast (34.4%).

 

By departments, iron insufficiency in the blood affected girls and boys in the Puno (67.2%), Ucayali (65.8%) and Huancavelica (65.0%) departments in a greater proportion.

 

During 2022, 33.4% of girls and boys 6 to 35 months of age received iron supplementation. The most commonly used dosage, for this population, was by droplets (13.8%).

 

The population under 12 months of age who received all vaccines according to their age reached 69.6%, increasing by 0.5 percentage point, compared to 2021.

13.8% of girls and boys under five years of age had Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI). It should be noted that this percentage was reported in the two weeks preceding the Survey. 

 

The departments of Loreto (21.7%) and La Libertad (17.4%) had the highest percentages of girls and boys with ARI while that in Cusco (6.6%) and Ayacucho (8.0%) reported the lowest levels.

 

At national level, in the year 2022, the occurrence of diarrhea in girls and boys under five years of age, in the two weeks prior to the Survey, was 11.7%. Compared to the previous year, the prevalence of diarrhea increased by 2.3 percentage points. The departments of Loreto (22.0%) and Madre de Dios (18.5%) had the highest percentages of girls and boys with diarrhea.

 

During the year 2022, 43.9% of girls and boys 9 to 12 months of age had an adequate interaction with their mother; a percentage that tended to increase compared to that registered in the year 2021 (41.5%). In addition, 91.8% of mothers of girls and boys in this age group reported responding immediately and appropriately to their daughter’s or son’s crying.

 

Four out of 10 girls and boys 9 to 36 months of age (43.6%), achieved effective verbal communication at a comprehensive and expressive level. The verbal interaction of the population in this age group with other adults would favor the development of adequate verbal communication.

 

According to the ENDES-2022 results, 61.0% of girls and boys 12 to 18 months of age walk on their own initiative, without having to stop every step to achieve balance. Likewise, 36.3% of girls and boys aged 24 to 71 months of age regulate their emotions and behaviors in situations of frustration and setting limits, according to the results of ENDES 2022.