Better nutrition of Brazilian children

Abstract

The prevalence of child malnutrition in Brazil declined 60% over the period 1974-89. This decline was not however uniform across the country causing regional differences to therefore widen. These findings are based upon a 1975 national survey of 55000 families and a 1989 survey of 14000 families. More specifically the overall prevalence of undernourished children in Brazil fell from 18.4% to 7.1% over the period. Among those aged 4-5 years a 68% reduction was experienced but only 47% among infants. Prevalence in the northeast region was sliced in half from 27%; this decline is in striking contrast to the more pronounced drop in prevalence in the south from 11.7% to 2.5% over the period. Socioeconomically the prevalence of malnutrition among the poorest 25% of the population increased from 5 times to 10 times the prevalence among the richest 25%. The authors conclude by asserting that this rapid improvement in child nutrition was due to the rapid economic growth experienced in the 1970s in the country the expansion of health and education services and declines in the national birth rate and the number of families living in rural areas.