Nutritional Status Of Children In Rondônia, Western Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Introduction. This report is part of a larger study designed to evaluate the impact brought by economic and social changes on the general health and nutritional status of pre-school children. This cross-sectional study surveyed all children under 5 years of age in rural communities that had been formed as a result of flooding for the construction of the Samuel hydroelectric reservoir, and settlements of families attracted by cassiterite mining in Rondônia State, Amazon region. Methods. The study enrolled 937 children. A questionnaire was administered to the mothers by trained interviewers in order to acquire demographic data; questions pertained to household environment and social variables. We used weight (kg) and height (cm) to calculate Z-scores for attained weight-for-age (W/A-Z), height/length-for-age (H/A-Z), and weight-for-length (W/H-Z) employing the WHO Anthro and the WHO recommended growth curves. Hemoglobin concentration was measured in the field from a finger-prick blood sample with a portable ß-hemoglobinometer (HemoCue®). Statistical analyses were done with XLSTAT. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess potential interactions of predicting variables. The model included sex, age, birth weight, maternal schooling, income, family members, Hb, and breastfeeding duration, to estimate their association with W/H-Z, W/A-Z, H/A-Z. Results. The prevalence of malnutrition (≤ H/A-Z), underweight (≤ W/A-Z), and overweight were respectively 5.12%, 3.66%, and 5.12%. The multiple regression analysis showed that breastfeeding had impact on W/A-Z (p=0.037) and that Hb was significantly correlated with H/A-Z. Conclusions. Longitudinal cohort studies and regular monitoring to assess nutritional status and also to monitor the effectiveness of ongoing nutritional intervention programmes are recommended. There is also a need for appropriate nutritional interventions so as to improve the nutritional deficiency of the children.