The Nutritional Status of the Rural Family in East Cundinamarca, Colombia

Abstract

The extent to which malnutrition is a consequence of low incomes and can be alleviated by raising incomes is critical in the formulation of national nutrition policy. To the extent that the nutritional quality is related to income, it may be expected to be improved by measures that will foster increased food production, higher incomes for the poor, more efficient distribution systems for foods and foodstuffs, and more nutritious, inexpensive foods. If income is not a determinant of the quality of the diet, these measures may have no effect on nutrition, although some will, of course, raise the level of living in terms of non-food items. The studies reported on here were designed to test the relationship between income and nutrition of persons of all ages, and of preschool children, in two rural areas of Colombia.