Document resource
Objectives To understand how malnutrition, understood as a social and health phenomenon, influences the configuration of individual and collective subjectivities of the actors surrounding the affected child. Specific objectives included: interpreting mothers’ perceptions of malnutrition in children under five years old; identifying the sociocultural and economic factors that influence the construction of these subjectivities; and exploring the narratives and experiences of healthcare personnel and family members in the face of this persistent reality in the country.Methods This qualitative ethnographic study was conducted in a hospital setting through interviews with physicians, nurses, nutritionists, social workers, and mothers or guardians of children with some degree of malnutrition. These interviews were supplemented by an observation guide within the hospital environment. Data analysis was performed using Atlas.ti software.Results Sankey graphs reveal an intrinsic relationship between medical care and social criticism; parenting and nutritional health demonstrate an intrinsic relationship with misinformation and lack of knowledge; the influence of culture on eating patterns is evident; a close relationship also emerges between malnutrition as a social problem and health equity, social discontent, and education; the emotional impact on mothers/guardians and professionals is evident, who express frustration in the different phases of treatment, mainly in relation to follow-up appointments and relapses related to nutritional status.Conclusions Dimensions rarely reflected in statistics are revealed, exposing the perceptions and experiences from each discipline involved in addressing a problem that transcends the clinical and is inscribed in the social, economic, and political spheres, particularly affecting vulnerable populations. Taken together, the findings underscore the need to address malnutrition from a comprehensive perspective.