| This study examines the health and nutritional status of and participation in health and nutrition programs by 212 women of reproductive age living in two poor urban settlements in Guatemala City. The information was collected via a mixed-method approach using both quantitative and qualitative data. Women's median age was 31 years. The mean and standard deviation of years of schooling were 6 ± 2.2. Women watched television an average of 3.1 hours a day. About 70 percent of households were classified as Working Poor. Women were at different stages of Women's Ways of Knowing. Fifty-two percent were classified in Received Knowledge . The main barriers to participation in primary health care programs were time constraints and lack of child care. Dietary data were collected by 24-hour food recalls. The average energy consumed was 2116 ± 698 kilocalories. Eighty percent of women consumed at least two-thirds of the RDAs for energy. Diets were deficient in iron, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. The main foods contributing to the total energy were bread (24%), tortillas (20%), sugar (7%), beans (6%), oil (5%), chicken (6%), beef (4%), eggs (4%), rice, potatoes, and pasta (4%), and sweet beverages, soda, and snacks (4%). About half of the women consumed 10 or more food items a day and were classified in the Higher Food Diversity group. Body Mass Index (BMI) was used to assess the prevalence of overweight and obesity. BMI values were compared to the WHO classification. The median BMI value was 25.3, which served as a cutoff point to classify women with Higher BMI and Lower BMI. Results of the logistic regression analysis identified the number of hours watching television as the strongest predictor of women's Willingness to Engage in Participatory Tasks. Results of the correlation analysis revealed a significant negative association between women's age and women's education. Women's education was a significant predictor of BMI values after controlling for age and it increased significantly the likelihood of consuming a more diverse diet. The greater the number of children at home the less likely women are to consume a more diverse diet. |
