[Socioeconomic level of the family and nutrition in the rural area of Central America and Panama].

During the nutrition survey carried out in Central America and Panama in 1965-1967, information was obtained on the diets and nutrient intake of the rural populations, and on their anthropometric and nutritional-biochemical characteristics. Simultaneously, data were collected for each family studied, which permitted their categorization according to a scale of socioeconomic index. The findings of these studies demonstrate a direct relationship between the socioeconomic level of the families and their dietary and nutritional characteristics. The different types of data, that is, dietary, biochemical, anthropometric and socioeconomic, were all collected at the same time in order to avoid seasonal differences as a confounding factor. Restriction of the sample studied to the rural area of the six countries makes each population rather homogeneous with respect to environmental, genetic and cultural characteristics. Under these conditions, the direct association found between the socioeconomic index of the families and nutritional status acquires more meaning. The design of the study does not permit to determine the direction of a cause-effect relationship, that is, which is the cause of the other. Nevertheless, the findings lend themselves to interesting speculation in this regard.