Hábitos alimentarios y situación nutricional en niños hijos de migrantes. Comunidades del Cantón El Tambo, Cañar.

Introduction: Eating habits are established during the early stages of development and are shaped by family, cultural, and social factors. In Ecuador, child malnutrition in rural areas of the Central Sierra reaches 27.7% (INEC), representing a persistent public health challenge. Objective: To determine the eating habits and nutritional status of children of migrant parents. Methodology: A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 212 children. The Krece-Plus questionnaire was applied, and anthropometric measurements were taken following international standards. Results: A total of 25.47% of schoolchildren did not consume dairy products at breakfast, 45.28% did not eat a second daily portion of fruit, and 40.57% did not include vegetables more than once a day. According to the Krece-Plus test, 14.6% showed a very poor nutritional level. Anthropometric assessment revealed 4.7% underweight, 10.8% overweight, and 5.7% obesity, totaling 21.2% malnutrition. No statistically significant association was found between eating habits and nutritional status (p = 0.177). Conclusions: Although most children exhibit relatively adequate dietary habits, important deficiencies in the consumption of healthy foods persist, and a considerable proportion shows malnutrition. Relevance: These findings highlight the nutritional vulnerability of children of migrant parents and reinforce the need for interventions aimed at improving dietary patterns and preventing short- and long-term health risks.