Análisis de factibilidad para evaluar el efecto de la desnutrición en la memoria y la velocidad de procesamiento en escolares de zonas populares de Caracas

Abstract

Throughout the early years of human life, adequate nutrition is essential for the nervous system to develop appropriately, guaranteeing optimal cognitive functioning. Unfortunately, in recent years, malnutrition has significantly increased in Venezuela, having an even more negative
impact on low-class children going through a sensitive period of their development. The main goal of this study was to analyze the feasibility of a research proposal that could study the effect of malnutrition on memory and processing speed in school-age children from lowclass
areas of Caracas. The study began considering the needs of the different stages of the research process. From this assessment came the idea of carrying out a pilot study using three tests from the cognitive domain of the NIH Toolbox: episodic memory, working memory, and processing speed. These tests were administered to 11 children between 8 to 11 years old, diagnosed as eutrophic, undernourished, or at risk of undernourishment. The results obtained from the analysis, both before and after the pilot study, considered the processes, resources,
management, and scientific viability of the proposed methodology, allowing us to conclude that the research proposal is feasible and might become a strategic contribution to future researchers interested in this sensitive topic.