Nutritional intervention techniques in the consumption of foods that are sources of iron in preschoolers

Abstract

Introduction: Deficient intake of food sources of iron is a risk factor for the development of iron deficiency anemia in children, it is necessary to identify the most effective nutritional intervention strategy in an urban and dynamic community environment.

Objective: To compare the effect of nutritional intervention through two nutritional intervention techniques, on the consumption of foods that are sources of iron in preschoolers residing in an urban area.

Materials and Methods: Quantitative approach, applied, experimental design of non-controlled trial type, carried out in 80 preschoolers from 3 to 5 years of age, who were distributed in two groups in a non-random way, each group consisting of 40 individuals. Both groups were evaluated before and after the nutritional intervention, through a questionnaire on the frequency of consumption of food sources of iron, using the inferential statistical test T of Student.

Results: Before the intervention, the average iron consumption in the diet was 1,25 + 0,29 mg and 1,17 + 0,27 mg in the group intervened with the synchronous and face-to-face technique, respectively; in addition; after the intervention it was 1,35 + 0,19 mg and 2,63 + 0,35 mg, respectively. When comparing the difference in iron consumption before and after the intervention between both intervention techniques, p<0.00 was obtained; being statistically significant.

Conclusion: The nutritional intervention technique, under the face-to-face modality, was the most effective in increasing the consumption of foods that are sources of iron in preschoolers residing in an urban area.