Abstract
The nutritional status of children under five years living in an area of social vulnerability and its association with personal and socioeconomic characteristics are evaluated by a cross-sectional study conducted at the Basic Family Health Units (I and II) of the Mutirao district in Campina Grande PB Brazil. Current study included 76 families with under-five-year-old children and any former collector of recyclable materials from the Campina Grande landfill. The nutritional status of children was analyzed by weight / age (W/A), height / age (H/A) and weight / height (W/H) indexes to determine their anthropometric deviations and etiological analyses with children´s socioeconomic characteristics. Prevalence of 6.6% in weight deficit and 19.7% in height deficit were reported. Multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that W/A, H/A and W/H indexes were negatively influenced in cases of children born with low birth weight, in children who had diarrhea during the last 15 days prior to the interview and those who had protozoan parasites during the same period. Height and weight deficits were the most common nutritional disorders. Results emphasize the need to carry out periodic assessments of children´s nutritional status featuring health and socioeconomic characteristics of vulnerability.
Highlights
Contemporary Brazil has a food and nutrition status marked by a long-lasting prevalence of malnutrition (Brasil, 2009) and food insecurity (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística [IBGE], 2010a)
No statistical significance in all situations was found when socioeconomic characteristics were taken into account
The prevalence of a 19.7% stunting in children in current study is much higher than that found in Northeastern Brazil for children younger than five years, according to the 2006 PNDS (Brasil, 2009) and 2008-2009 POF (IGBE, 2010b), with a 5.9% prevalence
Summary
Contemporary Brazil has a food and nutrition status marked by a long-lasting prevalence of malnutrition (Brasil, 2009) and food insecurity (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística [IBGE], 2010a). Health Sciences by a significant prevalence of stunting associated with living conditions (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística [IBGE], 2010b). The food insecurity of Brazilian families highlights a social condition in which millions of people find themselves without any guarantee of their right to food (Oliveira et al, 2009). In this perspective, the poorest segments of the population should be the focus of public policies on food and nutrition in the country.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
