‘Nutritional situation and food security of lenca ethnic people (Intibuca, Honduras)’ was published in 2019 in the Spanish Journal of Community Nutrition (Revista Española de Nutrición Comunitaria).  It is part of the Horticulture Innovation Lab’s project ‘Empowering women through horticulture in Honduras’.  The article was coauthored by Adriana Hernández Santana, Cindy Maricely Mérida Ramos, José Daniel Morales Arrivillaga, Víctor Noel Vargas Cantarero, and José Raúl Espinal Mejía, from the Department of Food Agribusiness at Zamorano University (Departamento de Agroindustria Alimentaria, Universidad Zamorano). 

The study uses a socioeconomic survey to analyze food insecurity and various food-related health outcomes in the Lenca ethnic group in Honduras.  The study finds that the Lenca population suffers from food and nutritional insecurity. Their diet presented excess carbohydrates, sugar and sodium, with high deficiencies of protein, iron, calcium and vitamin C, reflecting nutritional deficiencies and metabolic manifestations.

Resumen

Fundamentos: Existe una deuda social por disminuir las desigualdades, particularmente relacionada con los grupos étnicos. La información que se dispone es escasa para orientar estos esfuerzos. El objetivo del presente estudio fue evaluar la situación nutricional y la seguridad alimentaria de la población lenca (Intibucá, Honduras).

Métodos: Estudio descriptivo con modelo de muestras independientes y análisis de datos a través de la prueba “T de Student”, frecuencias y correlación de Pearson. La seguridad alimentaria fue valorada aplicando una encuesta socioeconómica, la Escala Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Seguridad Alimentaria; la situación nutricional fue valorada con un recordatorio de consumo de 24 horas, antropometría, composición corporal, indicadores bioquímicos y presión arterial.

Resultados: El 95% de las personas se encontraban en inseguridad alimentaria. Los hombres se encontraron afectados mayormente con sobrepeso (49,2%), grasa visceral (41,25%), pre hipertensión (50,79%) y glucosa alterada (18,24%), y las mujeres presentaron mayor problema de obesidad (27,27%), grasa corporal (60,6%) y anemia (42,42%).

Conclusiones: La población lenca sufre de inseguridad alimentaria y nutricional. Su alimentación presentó exceso de carbohidratos, azúcar y sodio, con altas deficiencias de proteína, hierro, calcio y vitamina C, reflejando deficiencias nutricionales y manifestaciones metabólicas.

Palabras clave: Desnutrición; Grasa; Hipertensión; Obesidad; Sexo.

Nutritional situation and food security of lenca ethnic people (Intibuca, Honduras)

Summary

Background: There is a social debt to reduce inequalities, particularly related to ethnic groups. The information that is available is scarce to address these efforts. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the nutritional situation and food security of the Lenca population (Intibucá, Honduras).

Methods: Descriptive study with model of independent samples and analysis of data through the "Student's t-test ", frequencies and Pearson correlation. Food security was valued by applying a socioeconomic survey, the Latin American and Caribbean Scale of Food Security; the nutritional situation was assessed with a reminder of 24-hour consumption, anthropometry, body composition, biochemical indicators and blood pressure.

Results: 95% of people were in food insecurity. Men were affected mostly by overweight (49.2%), visceral fat (41.25%), pre hypertension (50.79%) and altered glucose (18.24%), and women showed greatest obesity problem (27.27%), body fat (60.6%) and anemia (42.42%); their food had excess of carbohydrates, sugar and sodium, with high deficiencies of protein, iron, calcium and vitamin C, reflecting nutritional and metabolic problems.

Conclusions: Lenca population suffers from food and nutritional insecurity. Their diet presented excess carbohydrates, sugar and sodium, with high deficiencies of protein, iron, calcium and vitamin C, reflecting nutritional deficiencies and metabolic manifestations.

Key words: Hypertension, Fat; Malnutrition; Obesity; Sex.