Unbalanced Macronutrient Intakes, Multiple Micronutrient Inadequacies, and Diarrhea Underscore Low-Height-for-Age in Indigenous Panamanian Preschool Children.

Background: In remote indigenous Panamanian subsistence farming communities, poor diet, diarrhea, and Objectives: This study explored the relative contributions of food, nutrient intakes, and infections (diarrhea and intestinal nematodes) to height-for-age Methods: This prospective community-based study collected sociodemographic and health data from 328, 12‒59-mo-old children in both the dry and rainy seasons. Diets were assessed in nonbreastfeeding children using a food frequency questionnaire and a 24-h recall during both seasons. Bivariate comparisons between stunted and nonstunted children and between the dry and rainy seasons were conducted. Stepwise linear regression models identified associations of sociodemographic status, infections, food groups, and estimated nutrient intakes with HAZ. Results: The diet characterized as low fat, high sugar was deficient in micronutrients. Food and nutrient intakes were lower in the rainy than the dry season ( Conclusions: The multifactorial nature of linear growth faltering in these preschool children differed by season. The negative impact of diarrhea emerged only in the rainy season, but the negative impact of sugar intake and the positive impact of fat intake emerged in both seasons.