Socioeconomic factors and their relationship with malnutrition in Latin American children (Original)

Abstract

Latin America has a key role to play in advancing the Circular Economy, as it faces significant obstacles in the shift towards new models of economic development. Globally, there is a double burden of nutrition: malnutrition rates are decreasing, but obesity and overweight are increasing, with differences between regions. This study aims to explore the socioeconomic factors that influence child undernutrition in Latin America. A descriptive and systematic documentary approach is used; the research is based on a review of scientific articles indexed in databases such as PubMed, Elsevier, Scielo, Redalyc and Google Scholar, focusing on studies published between 2019 and 2024. The results show that Ecuador has generated an important body of research emphasizing the impact of socioeconomic factors on child undernutrition. Over the past 20 years, malnutrition rates among children aged 5-6 years have remained above the national average, particularly in rural areas and among low-income families, with 71.6% of malnourished children in these groups. The study highlights that socioeconomic factors are critical determinants of child malnutrition in the region. In addition, malnutrition is increasingly linked to obesity, which widens the scope of the problem. Ecuador appears as the country with the most extensive data, reinforcing the need to face socioeconomic inequalities to reduce both malnutrition and obesity.