We assessed the nutritional status of children in Ecuador using anthropometric measurements and body composition.

Objectives: To determine whether living in the highlands in Quito was a predisposing factor to poor nutrition in children.

Method: We compared the children in highlands at 2772 m above sea level with their costal (605 m above sea level) counterparts at Santo Domingo de Los Colorados. By using the WHO standard reference 2007, we distinguished malnourished children from healthy children using Z-score of −2 as a cut-off point.

Results: Mean Z-score indices for both height-for-age (HFA) and weight-for-age (WFA) were found to be significantly lower among urban children than for rural children (p < 0.001). Urban children were also four times more likely of becoming mildly stunted (OR = 3.95%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.818–8.448) and three times more likely of being mildly underweight (OR = 3.95%, 95% CI: 1.241–7.551).

Conclusion: Living in highland urban areas of Ecuador is a predisposing factor for poor nutrition among children.