Abstract

PRADO, Consuelo et al. Growth and nutrition of gypsy children in relocation sites in Madrid. Rev Cubana Salud Pública [online]. 2005, vol.31, n.4, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-3127.

Anthropoloy as a science of synthesis allows making a valid approach to complex processes such as those related with human ontogenetic development. Physical Anthropology in its biological facet provides objective data on how individuals and /or human groups adapt to new situations (habits, customs, feeding, etc). Data collected on critical stages like growth may show circumstances that might have a medium-term impact on the ever-difficult health-disease balance. The situation of the gypsy minority has been one focus point in the European Union and has generated in Spain programs aimed at improving the social environment of this group. At the somatic level, the effect of these programs in the infant-juvenile stage is so far unknown, so the basic objective of the present communication is to analyze the growth process from 5 to 14 years of age in gypsy children living in relocation sites in Madrid (Ruedo, Herradura and Fuencarral..) a population that has improved a priori their quality of life. The research team, with the initial co-operation of Instituto de Realojamiento e Integración Social and the NGO Apoyo later, under a Ministry of Social Affairs project, studied a sample of 200 gypsy children to characterize their somatic development and their socio-economic, occupational, family and nutritional conditions. After data processing, it was found the following: persistence of big families fundamentally due to having more than 5 children, unhealthy habits such as high rate of coffee consumption (characteristic of the studied minority since the childhood) and of smoking, food intake levels under those internationally recommended from the age of 8 on and a growth pattern slower than that of the Spanish population. The somatic growth caused by puberal acceleration has been observed at the age of 13 years, that is to say, one year older than the Spanish reference. In the light of the results, the achievements attained and the challenges ahead to make a favorable transition from the biological viewpoint were discussed

Keywords : growth; development; nutrition; relocation sites; gypsy children; Madrid.

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