Crecimiento físico de preescolares en familias encabezadas por mujeres de la zona metropolitana en la Ciudad de México

Abstract

This paper analyzes the social vulnerability of female-headed households (single mothers), employing the following indicators: physical growth and nutritional status (weight, height and total, fat and muscular areas of the arm) of their children. The sample of children was gathered in the government’s kindergartens. It includes data of 1,686 girls and boys between 4.5 and 5.5 years of age, living in the municipalities (counties) of Valle de Chalco-Solidaridad and Nezahualcóyotl, in the State of Mexico, and Milpa Alta, in Mexico City. To carry out the analysis the mothers of the children were categorized into four groups: Single mothers who do not work for a wage, single mothers who work for a wage, mothers with employed partners and mothers with unemployed partners. The children were divided by age groups (4.5 to 5.0 and 5.0 to 5.5 years), sex, and place of residence. Various statistical tests were applied in order to establish significance of the differences in the measures for physical growth and nutritional status, according to the above-mentioned categories and places of residence.