Impact of Conditional Transfer Programs in Panama on Food and Nutrient Intakes and Anthropometric Status of Ngabe Preschool Children

Conditional cash transfer (CT) and food voucher (FV) programs aim to improve child nutritional status. Our goals were: (1) to describe food group and macro‐ and micronutrient intakes of 315 Ngabe preschool children whose families participated in either a CT or a FV program and (2) to determine which foods or nutrients were associated with higher HAZ scores. We collected 3–4 24‐hr dietary recalls over 16 mo along with HAZ and measured chronicity of protozoan infection and GI nematode burden. Nutrient and food group predictors of HAZ were identified using multiple linear regression while controlling for household assets, infections and program participation. The uniformly inadequate intakes for macro‐ and micronutrients differed by program participation. Stunted children from the CT program had higher intakes of energy and carbohydrate (bread, chips/crackers, juice crystals). In contrast stunted children from the FV program had lower intakes of protein and fat. Multiple linear regression models revealed that meat, bread and juice crystals but not sweets increased HAZ in the FV region. In the CT region, pasta and corn products were positive predictors but root vegetables and green bananas were negative predictors of HAZ. However, models that included infections captured more variability (29% vs 5%) suggesting that HAZ is influenced not only by diet but also by infection. (Funding: SENACYT – Panama and IDRC – Canada)