Nutritional Impact of a Project on Food Security and Nutrition in Children of 6 Months to 5 Years of Age Receiving Home Fortification With Micronutrient Powders in Nariño, Colombia

Micronutrient deficiency is a public health problem. At the national level according to ENSIN 2010, in Colombia the prevalence of anemia in children of 6 to 59 months is 27.5%; of 24.3% for vitamin A deficiency in children between 1 and 4 years of age; and in the case of zinc deficiency, the prevalence is of 43.3% of children under 5 years of age. According to FAO and WHO, different strategies for overcoming micronutrient deficiencies need to be combined and balanced in order to achieve maximum impact.

The project "Papas más nutritivas" ("Ampliación de la producción de papas amarillas más nutritivas en Colombia (CIFSRF phase 2) / Scaling up synergetic strategies in agriculture and nutrition in rural communities of Colombia") funded by the IDRC-International Development Research Center, through the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CISFR) and implemented by the McGILL University Canada and the Universidad Nacional de Colombia involve, in addition to the expansion of production of the new varieties of yellow potatoes, other activities such as Community Schools of Family Agriculture, training schools of leader and managers in sovereignty and food and nutritional security, strengthening of the shagra (home garden) and home fortification with micronutrients powders, seeking to improve the quality of life and nutritional status of families of potato producers for the scope of the food and nutritional security.

The effectiveness of micronutrient powders or MNP as a strategy for the prevention of micronutrient deficiencies has been described in the literature. However, few studies have shown the impact of the inclusion of other simultaneous actions on the different dimensions of food and nutritional security (as in the case of the project "Papas más nutritivas") that will contribute to the improvement of nutritional status, obtaining potentially greater benefits.

Objective: To establish the existence of difference in hemoglobin values among children aged 6 months to 5 years who receive home fortification with micronutrient powders (MNP) belonging to the project "Papas más nutritivas", and children with home fortification with MNP but not belonging to the project.

Methodology: Prospective cohort. Two groups are established: the first, children exposed to the activities of the project "Papas más nutritivas" + MNP (PSAN+MNP group) , and the second, children exposed only to MNP (MNP group). We will try to include 140 children (70 for each of the groups), this sample gives us a power of 90% to find a delta of 0.5.