[The nutritional and health status of the Latin American woman].

Latin America is a region where countries have various levels of socioeconomic development. Thus, the living standards and health status of its people differ significantly in the midst of a mosaic of social, ethnic, cultural and economic realities. Social inequalities and extreme poverty determine significant differences, not only in the magnitude of health indicators, but also in the type of pathology prevalent. People in the high socioeconomic levels are affected by nutritional diseases characterized by excessive food intake, while people from the low socioeconomic levels are affected by undernutrition and its associated pathology. Undernutrition occurs fundamentally among the age groups at higher risk in the population segments with low income, low food intake, illiteracy and poor access to the health care and preventive medicine centers. Among families exposed to undernutrition, women are usually in worse condition than men. This is due to the long working hours and the increased nutritional requirements caused by frequent gestations and prolonged lactation. It is estimated that one fourth of newborns in Latin America are affected by low birth weight, which has been associated to adolescent mothers, their excessive physical work, anemia, low maternal pregestational weight, low weight gain during gestation, and frequent maternal infections. Nutritional anemia due to iron deficiency is highly prevalent among pregnant women in Latin America. In some countries, the prevalence of folate deficiency during pregnancy appears to have increased significantly in the past 15 years and is becoming a nutritional problem that needs preferential attention. Diets generally are inadequate and, in the case of pregnant and lactating women, usually deficient in calories, protein, iron and folic acid. It is urgent that the health and nutritional status of Latin American women of low socioeconomic condition be given special attention, particularly mothers during gestation and lactation. Otherwise, women will not be able to altogether fulfill their important role in the home and within the family, nor will they successfully participate in the economic development of their countries.