État nutritionnel, morbidité, mortalité: Les Cases de Awa-Kwaiker, des Embera, des Paez de Colombie, un modele bioculturel

Abstract

eng: In this research we have studied the cultural and biological variables most associated with the child mortality rate of three amerindian groups in Colombia (the Awa-Kwaiker from Ricaurte, the Embera from Dabeiba, the Paez from Jambalo). We started off with an exploratory central question: Which is the relationship between malnourishment, morbidity and the elevated child mortality rates found among the Awa-Kwaiker from Ricaurte, the Embera from Dabeiba and the Paez from Jambalo? For approximately two years we covered part of the territory of these three communities in order to collect biological and cultural data to find an answer to this problematic issue. To achieve our goals we favoured a synthetic theoretical framework as well as an interdisciplinary vision. The analysis is both quantitative and qualitative. Presented in the first chapter is the theoretical and methodological framework. Chapter 2 discusses the context of our research, the ethnographic and historical features of th three groups under study. Chapter 3 introduces the problem of child mortality in the context of each of the three groups'' demographic, environmental and cultural dynamics. Chapters 4 and 5 contain the results of the analysis made of our anthropometric, dental and micro-nutrients related data collection. After acknowledging "stunting" as being main nutritional problem, we explore in chapter 6 the biocultural aspects of children''s nutrition (breastfeeding, supplement nutrition and weaning) that can be associated with their malnourishment. After having identified the risk factors of the children''s nutritional patterns, we examine in chapter 7 the links between the nutrition, the diarrhea and the morbidity-mortality of the children we examined so as to discover which can be the variables putting these children in a vulnerable physical state. Finally, in chapter 8, we position our problem in the context of the cultural change of Colombian Amerindians who find themselves in a situation of intense conflict.