Nutrition In Brazil Research Articles

Scientific production of researchers in the Nutrition field with productivity fellowships from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development

ABSTRACT Objective To characterize researchers in the Nutrition field awarded with Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico research productivity fellowships and evaluate their scientific production according to an analysis of curricula registered on the Lattes Platform. Methods The study is cross-sectional and descriptive in scope, and was developed from October 2014 to February 2015. The productivity fellowships/Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico researchers were identified from the Lattes Platform, and their curriculum lattes were downloaded for data collation. Information on the profiles of the researchers and the bibliometric data of productivity (published articles, articles and citations registered on ISI/Web of Science and Scopus databases, impact of the publications, and academic advising) were collected. Results Eighty researchers were identified and evaluated. A total of 67.5% were female and 53.5% were classified as category 2. Approximately two-thirds (65.0%) were located in Southeastern Brazil. The sum of articles published by the researchers from the beginning of their career until the end of the study came to 7,358 (median=84 per researcher, interquartile range=53–285). Of these publications, 45.0% were indexed in the Web of Science and 62.0% in Scopus. Of the journals where the articles were published, 70.0% had an impact factor. Conclusion Most publications were performed in journals with an impact factor, indicating the influence of Brazilian nutrition studies on society and their potential for guiding public policies on nutrition and health.

Nutrire, the official journal of the Brazilian Society for Food and Nutrition, enters a new phase by joining BioMed Central

Background In 1992, the Brazilian Society for Food and Nutrition launched a journal called Cadernos de Nutricao, whose goal was to publish review articles of interest for the Brazilian nutrition researchers and professionals’ community. Then, in 2000, the journal title changed to Nutrire and the scope was reformulated to include original research articles so as to reflect the extraordinary growth of the Brazilian scientific output in the areas of nutrition and food science that had occurred in the previous years. Finally, last year, aiming to internationalize the journal and professionalize its management, the Society took another major step partnering with BioMed Central, a prestigious publisher which pioneered open-access publishing. I am now pleased to introduce you to Nutrire in its new phase as well as to invite you to consider the journal for your next research article. Nutrire is a Latin word for “to nourish.” The process of nourishing or being nourished has passed through important transformations in the last decades. We have to deal not only with old nutritional problems such as malnutrition and micronutrients deficiencies but also with modern maladies such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. The development of new technologies has enabled the investigation of nutrients and their interactions with genetics at a molecular level. In the era of nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics, researchers have been able to explore the genetic basis of individual differences in response to the same nutritional intakes [1]. These are just examples of new, exciting areas of research in nutrition and food sciences. There are many others, such as epigenetics and nutritional therapy, and they may explain not only the growing number of researchers interested in these topics but also the explosive growth of

Revista de Saúde Pública: 50 years disseminating the knowledge in nutrition.

ABSTRACTThis work describes and comments on articles in the area of Public Health Nutrition published in Revista de Saúde Pública (RSP – Public Health Journal) from 1967 to 2016. We searched in the PubMed database restricted to the periodical “Revista de Saúde Pública” and using terms related to key topics in the area of Public Health Nutrition. We retrieved 742 articles and, after exclusion of duplicates and articles unrelated to the subject, we analyzed 441 articles, grouped according to subject: dental caries, anemia, hypovitaminosis A, macro/micronutrients, malnutrition, nutritional assessment, overweight/obesity, food consumption, low birthweight, and breastfeeding. We observed significant increase in the number of articles published and diversification of subjects addressed over the 50 years, representing the consistent development of the scientific field of Nutrition in Brazil. Since its inception, RSP has played an important role in the dissemination of knowledge about the main nutritional issues in Brazil.

Sodium content on processed foods for snacks.

To assess the Na content reported on the labels of processed foods sold in Brazil that are usually consumed as snacks by children and adolescents. Cross-sectional study that assessed Na content and serving size reporting on processed food labels. A supermarket that is part of a large chain in Brazil. All foods available for sale at the study's location and reported in the literature as snacks present in the diets of Brazilian children and adolescents. Of the 2945 processed foods, 87 % complied with the reference serving sizes, although variability in reporting was observed in most of the food subgroups. In addition, 21 % of the processed foods had high Na levels (>600 mg/100 g) and 35 % had medium Na levels (>120 and ≤600 mg/100 g). The meats, oils, fats and seeds groups as well as the prepared dishes had higher percentages of foods classified as high Na (81 %, 58 % and 53 %, respectively). Most of the processed foods had high or medium Na content. We emphasize the importance of revising Brazilian nutrition labelling legislation to standardize reference serving sizes to avoid variation. Besides, we point out the potential for reducing Na levels in most processed foods, as evidenced by the variability in Na content within subgroups. Finally, we have identified the need to develop a method to classify Na levels in processed foods with specific parameters for children and adolescents.

Prevalence of pneumonia and associated factors among indigenous children in Brazil: results from the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition.

Based on data from a nationally representative sample of indigenous villages in Brazilian indigenous reserves, the study sought to estimate the prevalence of pneumonia and evaluate associated factors among indigenous children under 5 years of age. Sociodemographic, clinical and reported data on child respiratory health from the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition in Brazil were collected for 6128 children. Prevalence of pneumonia was calculated for independent variables and hierarchical multivariate analyses were performed to assess associations. The overall prevalence proportions of cough, nasal congestion, pneumonia, and pneumonia with fever were 44.4%, 31.0%, 2.63%, and 1.28%, respectively. In the multivariate model, pneumonia was more frequent among children living in the South/Southeast and North regions of Brazil. Children living in larger households or houses with wood or thatch roofing, as well those with low birthweight or stunting, presented higher risk of pneumonia. Pneumonia was less prevalent among children living in houses with wood flooring and those presenting low weight-for-age. The study results demonstrate that pneumonia is an important cause of illness among indigenous children throughout Brazil. The association between pneumonia and household characteristics suggests that indoor home environment is closely related to the respiratory health of indigenous children.

Diarrhea and health inequity among Indigenous children in Brazil: results from the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition.

BackgroundGlobally, diarrhea is the second leading cause of death among children under five. In Brazil, mortality due to diarrhea underwent a significant reduction in recent decades principally due to expansion of the primary healthcare network, use of oral rehydration therapy, reduced child undernutrition, and improved access to safe drinking water. The First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition in Brazil, conducted in 2008–2009, was the first survey based on a nationwide representative sample to study the prevalence of diarrhea and associated factors among Indigenous children in the country.MethodsThe survey assessed the health and nutritional status of Indigenous children < 5 years of age based on a representative sample of major Brazilian geopolitical regions. A stratified probabilistic sampling was carried out for Indigenous villages. Within villages, children < 5 years of age in sampled households were included in the study. Interviews were based on a seven day recall period. Prevalence rates of acute diarrhea were calculated for independent variables and hierarchical multivariable analyses were conducted to assess associations.ResultsInformation on diarrhea was obtained for 5,828 children (95.1% of the total sample). The overall prevalence of diarrhea was 23.5%. Regional differences were observed, with the highest rate being in the North (38.1%). Higher risk of diarrhea was observed among younger children and those who had less maternal schooling, lower household socioeconomic status, undernutrition (weight-for-age deficit), presence of another child with diarrhea in the household, and occurrence of upper respiratory infection.ConclusionsAccording to results of the First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition, almost a quarter of Indigenous children throughout the country had diarrhea during the previous week. This prevalence is substantially higher than that documented in 2006 for Brazilian children < 5 years generally (9.4%). Due to its exceedingly multicausal nature, the set of associated variables that remained associated with child diarrhea in the final multivariable model provide an excellent reflection of the diverse social and health inequities faced by Indigenous peoples in contemporary Brazil.

The construction of scientific knowledge in Food and Nutrition: Analysis of dissertations and theses in the Brazilian post-graduation programs in Nutrition

Objective: To analyze dissertations and theses produced by graduate programs in nutrition in Brazil from 2003 to 2012. We sought to identify: a) The number of studies produced per year b) the scientific approach (quantitative, qualitative, or mixed), and c) the area of knowledge in the scientific field of nutrition. Methods: This is a descriptive study. We investigated seven graduate programs linked to the area of nutrition of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel, which had the web pages listing the studies. The analysis procedures included reading the titles, identifying the advisor's lines of research, reading the summaries, and reading the methods section. Results: In the study period 758 dissertations and 204 theses were defended, signifying an increase of 229.0% for the all programs. The hegemony of the quantitative approach shows the influence of the philosophical trends linked to positivism and the biological sciences, attracting interest from 92.5% of researchers. The qualitative and mixed approaches contributed only to 7.3% of the studies, expressing the influence of the social sciences and humanities and of the philosophical trends' dialectics and phenomenology about a small group of researchers. Conclusion: The distribution of dissertations and theses in the six areas of knowledge reaffirms the complexity, breadth, epistemological, and methodological heterogeneity; and the configuration of the field of knowledge production in food and nutrition, requiring the construction of collective political projects, seeking the interdisciplinarity of the different areas that structure the field.

DIVULGANDO NOVA CHAMADA DE ARTIGOS PARA NÚMERO TEMÁTICO VOLTADO PARA “DIÁLOGOS NO CAMPO DA ANTROPOLOGIA DA ALIMENTAÇÃO”

Iniciamos este editorial desejando a todos uma boa leitura e agradecendo a leitores e autores por seu apoio nos avanços e na divulgação da nossa revista. O recebimento de um volume cada vez maior de originais se mantém consistente, o que nos permitiu publicar, neste número, 15 artigos originais de alta qualidade, além de cinco resumos de teses e dissertações defendidas no Programas de Pós-graduação em Alimentação, Nutrição e Saúde do Instituto de Nutrição da UERJ, abordando objetos que identificam o campo da Alimentação e Nutrição no Brasil, a saber: comida , alimento e/ou nutriente . Os artigos originais se desdobram em temas oriundos dos diversos núcleos de saberes que conformam o campo científico da Alimentação e Nutrição, como um estudo sobre identidade social do obeso, outro situado no âmbito das Políticas de Alimentação e Nutrição, dois estudos epidemiológicos sobre Nutrição, dois estudos sobre a produção refeições, um estudo sobre composição química e qualidade microbiológica dos alimentos e, por fim, oito estudos da área da Nutrição Clínica. Manter a trajetória de crescimento da Demetra é parte muito importante de nossa política editorial. Em oportunidade anterior, investimos com sucesso na divulgação de estudos que articulavam saberes e práticas no âmbito da Alimentação e das Humanidades. Prosseguindo nessa linha, gostaríamos de anunciar nosso próximo investimento: a preparação de um número especial que privilegiará o debate acerca de saberes e práticas alimentares que têm como tema central os diálogos com a Antropologia da Alimentação. Nesse novo número temático, a ser publicado em 2015, pretendemos oportunizar a divulgação de pesquisas e reflexões que abordem estudos sobre os significativos arranjos sociais e culturais dos mais diversos grupamentos humanos, revelados a partir das análises de práticas alimentares. Muito animados e movidos pelas melhores expectativas, anunciamos e agradecemos a parceria com os pesquisadores Martín César Tempass, da Universidade Federal de Pelotas, e Mônica Chaves Abdala, da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, na coordenação desse promissor número temático. Esperamos que o novo número temático contribua para a consolidação de maior interlocução entre as Ciências Humanas e Sociais e as Ciências da Saúde nas pesquisas sobre alimentação. Dessa forma, convidamos nutricionistas, antropólogos, sociólogos, historiadores, psicólogos, entre outros profissionais, para dialogar sobre o tema que convoca olhares multidisciplinares. Contamos, mais uma vez, com a confiança dos pesquisadores ao enviar seus trabalhos para divulgação e na colaboração com o fortalecimento de nossa revista, comprometida em oportunizar a todos o acesso público e gratuito ao conhecimento produzido pela ciência. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12957/demetra.2014.14064

Segurança Alimentar e Vigilância Sanitária: dois pesos e duas medidas e a qualidade fora da balança

The question that guides the drafting of this article is directed to the study on the relationship between food safety and health surveillance for assessing the relevance of the subject of food quality (such as the area of attention and responsibility of health surveillance) in the deployment and implementation of programs and national plans for food and nutrition in Brazil throughout the 20th century as well as to date. This article is derived from concern about the possible absence of the theme “quality” in these programs and governmental plans and the consequent ineffective results in improving nutrition and health conditions of specific groups and of the Brazilian population in general. The present study was a qualitative analysis of the subject of food safety and its interaction with health surveillance, in what it is mentioned over all, to the question of the quality, under the optics of the laboratorial component The applied methods involved data collection, bibliographical research, and posterior critical analysis. During the course of this study, we realized that multiple governmental sectors are involved in the issue of food security and that the theme “quality” is not the preferred focus. We believe that without the effective presence of health surveillance, particularly its laboratory component, in the sense of assessing the quality of food, the social issue of hunger can be resolved over the next few years; however, the same cannot be applicable to the question of the health of the population.

Conceptual and methodological aspects in clinical and epidemiologic studies: Contributions to the scientific Field of Food and Nutrition in Brazil

Conceptual and methodological aspects in clinical and epidemiologic studies: Contributions to the scientific Field of Food and Nutrition in Brazil

A pesquisa em Nutrição Clínica no Brasil

Neste ensaio, busca-se uma primeira aproximação à pesquisa em Nutrição Clínica. Considera-se existir uma lacuna de informações e debates sobre elementos de cunho epistemológico e sobre interesses que marcam essa atividade no interior do campo científico da Alimentação e Nutrição no Brasil. O caráter multidimensional do campo alimentar-nutricional é apresentado como sua forte marca de identidade e motivo de distinção. Todavia, a pesquisa em Nutrição Clínica caracteriza-se pelo olhar biomédico, voltado enfaticamente para o metabolismo e para a doença, ficando excluídas as relações sociais e a intersubjetividade, com estudos voltados ao aspecto nutricional, sem considerar o alimentar. De outro lado, o alívio do sofrimento impõe a compreensão de relações entre seres humanos em sociedade. Tanto do ponto de vista metodológico como epistemológico, a biomedicina não é capaz de abarcar a totalidade do fenômeno da vida humana. Por essas razões, as Ciências Humanas e Sociais podem contribuir, em regime de cooperação interdisciplinar, com o campo da Alimentação e Nutrição, no sentido de instrumentalizar estudos inovadores tanto no aspecto conceitual quanto metodológico. Tais perspectivas podem trazer à luz as dimensões subjetivas do adoecimento humano, as quais constituem matéria essencial para os estudos sobre Nutrição Clínica.

Políticas e Programas de Alimentação e Nutrição: Um Passeio pela História

Objective: This study aims to bring a review of the development of policies and programs for food and nutrition. Material and Methods: Searches for original articles were conducted in the databases Medline and LILACS. Also, we carried out searches in websites linked to official government bodies (Ministry of Health and Development, Ministry of Social Development and Fight against Hunger) and documents of the Institute for Applied Economic Research and of the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analysis. The publication period from 1995 to 2013 was selected, comprising 27 published articles. Results: This article reports the development of policies and programs for food and nutrition in Brazil, since Josue de Castro until the emergence of the Bolsa Familia Program, demonstrating how it has evolved, characteristics of the program and its future perspectives. Conclusion: The format of the development of policies and programs for food and nutrition explains what is currently seen in the Bolsa Familia program, because it allows to better understand the current operation of the program and reflects what can still be seen and done to reach its real goals. DESCRIPTORS Nutrition Programs and Policies, Nutrition Programs, Public Policies.

Prevalence of anemia and associated factors among indigenous children in Brazil: results from the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition.

BackgroundAnemia is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency globally, affecting about a quarter of the world population. In Brazil, about one-fifth of children under five years of age are anemic. Previous case studies indicate prevalence rates much higher among indigenous peoples in the country. The First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition in Brazil, conducted in 2008–2009, was the first survey based on a nationwide representative sample to study the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among indigenous children in Brazil.MethodsThe survey assessed the health and nutritional status of indigenous children < 5 years of age based on a representative sample of major Brazilian geopolitical regions. A stratified probabilistic sampling was carried out for indigenous villages. Within villages, children < 5 years of age in sampled households were included in the study. Prevalence rates of anemia were calculated for independent variables and hierarchical multivariate analysis were conducted to assess associations.ResultsEvaluation of hemoglobin levels was conducted for 5,397 children (88.1% of the total sample). The overall prevalence of anemia was 51.2%. Higher risk of presenting anemia was documented for boys, lower maternal schooling, lower household socioeconomic status, poorer sanitary conditions, presence of maternal anemia, and anthropometric deficits. Regional differences were observed, with the highest rate being observed in the North.ConclusionsThe prevalence rates of anemia in indigenous children were approximately double than those reported for non-indigenous Brazilian children in the same age group. Similarly notable differences in the occurrence of anemia in indigenous and non-indigenous children have been reported for other countries. Deeper knowledge about the etiology of anemia in indigenous children in Brazil is essential to its proper treatment and prevention.

Nutritional status of indigenous children: findings from the First National Survey of Indigenous People's Health and Nutrition in Brazil.

IntroductionThe prevalence of undernutrition, which is closely associated with socioeconomic and sanitation conditions, is often higher among indigenous than non-indigenous children in many countries. In Brazil, in spite of overall reductions in the prevalence of undernutrition in recent decades, the nutritional situation of indigenous children remains worrying. The First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition in Brazil, conducted in 2008–2009, was the first study to evaluate a nationwide representative sample of indigenous peoples. This paper presents findings from this study on the nutritional status of indigenous children < 5 years of age in Brazil.MethodsA multi-stage sampling was employed to obtain a representative sample of the indigenous population residing in villages in four Brazilian regions (North, Northeast, Central-West, and Southeast/South). Initially, a stratified probabilistic sampling was carried out for indigenous villages located in these regions. Households in sampled villages were selected by census or systematic sampling depending on the village population. The survey evaluated the health and nutritional status of children < 5 years, in addition to interviewing mothers or caretakers.ResultsHeight and weight measurements were taken of 6,050 and 6,075 children, respectively. Prevalence rates of stunting, underweight, and wasting were 25.7%, 5.9%, and 1.3%, respectively. Even after controlling for confounding, the prevalence rates of underweight and stunting were higher among children in the North region, in low socioeconomic status households, in households with poorer sanitary conditions, with anemic mothers, with low birthweight, and who were hospitalized during the prior 6 months. A protective effect of breastfeeding for underweight was observed for children under 12 months.ConclusionsThe elevated rate of stunting observed in indigenous children approximates that of non-indigenous Brazilians four decades ago, before major health reforms greatly reduced its occurrence nationwide. Prevalence rates of undernutrition were associated with socioeconomic variables including income, household goods, schooling, and access to sanitation services, among other variables. Providing important baseline data for future comparison, these findings further suggest the relevance of social, economic, and environmental factors at different scales (local, regional, and national) for the nutritional status of indigenous peoples.

The First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition in Brazil: rationale, methodology, and overview of results

BackgroundAlthough case studies indicate that indigenous peoples in Brazil often suffer from higher morbidity and mortality rates than the national population, they were not included systematically in any previous national health survey. Reported here for the first time, the First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition in Brazil was conducted in 2008–2009 to obtain baseline information based on a nationwide representative sample. This paper presents the study’s rationale, design and methods, and selected results.MethodsThe survey sought to characterize nutritional status and other health measures in indigenous children less than 5 years of age and indigenous women from 14 to 49 years of age on the basis of a survey employing a representative probabilistic sample of the indigenous population residing in villages in Brazil, according to four major regions (North, Northeast, Central-West, and South/Southeast). Interviews, clinical measurements, and secondary data collection in the field addressed the major topics: nutritional status, prevalence of hypertension and diabetes mellitus in women, child hospitalization, prevalence of tuberculosis and malaria in women, access to health services and programs, and characteristics of the domestic economy and diet.ResultsThe study obtained data for 113 villages (91.9% of the planned sample), 5,305 households (93.5%), 6,692 women (101.3%), and 6,128 children (93.1%). Multiple household variables followed a pattern of greater economic autonomy and lower socioeconomic status in the North as compared to other regions. For non-pregnant women, elevated prevalence rates were encountered for overweight (30.3%), obesity (15.8%), anemia (32.7%), and hypertension (13.2%). Among children, elevated prevalence rates were observed for height-for-age deficit (25.7%), anemia (51.2%), hospitalizations during the prior 12 months (19.3%), and diarrhea during the prior week (23.6%).ConclusionsThe clinical-epidemiological parameters evaluated for indigenous women point to the accentuated occurrence of nutrition transition in all regions of Brazil. Many outcomes also reflected a pattern whereby indigenous women’s and children’s health indicators were worse than those documented for the national Brazilian population, with important regional variations. Observed disparities in health indicators underscore that basic healthcare and sanitation services are not yet as widely available in Brazil’s indigenous communities as they are in the rest of the country.

Educação alimentar e a constituição de trabalhadores fortes, robustos e produtivos: análise da produção científica em nutrição no Brasil, 1934-1941

In exploring the emergence of scientific scholarship on the field of eating and nutrition in Brazil, the article examines works produced and published from 1934 to 1941 that disseminated and sought to encourage application of the conceptual and methodological bases of rational eating. Employing theory on the social genesis of a field, the investigation reveals that intellectuals in the area relied on a standardized approach and modus operandi: the indication of interventionist practices in eating and nutritional education which targeted large numbers of people and were influenced by the era's social and educational ideas and by the notion of education as a tool for social redemption.

Nutritional and epidemiological aspects of patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis from Brazil, 2010

The Nutrition Committee of the Brazilian Society of Nephrology (SBN) held in 2010 the first Brazilian Nutrition Census in hemodialysis patients. Multicenter data contribute to clinical development and nutritional intervention. To describe epidemiological and nutritional aspects of hemodialysis patients. Cross-sectional study in 36 dialysis clinics and 2,622 randomly selected participants. Socio-demographical, clinical, biochemical and anthropometric records were collected. 60.45% of the patients lived in the Brazilian Southeast. 13.53% came from Northeast region, while 12.81% from South, 10.33% from Midwest and 2.86% from North regions. Approximately 58% were male and 63.1% were below 60 years old. 58.5% of patients were married or in cohabitation. Around 80% of them depended on the government Unified Health System. Smoking showed a difference between gender and age. Presumptive etiologies were Hypertensive Nephrosclerosis (26.4%), Diabetic Nephropathy (24.6%), unknown/undiagnosed causes (19.9%), Glomerulopathies (13.6%) and others (11.2%). Both Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus affect approximately 30% of patients, especially over 60 years. Body Mass Index did not differ between genders, although it differed between age groups and when used different evaluation criteria. Men and women average waist circumference were respectively 90.5 and 88.0 cm. Lipid profile did not differ between age groups, but it did between genders. Albumin values were lower in women and in patients older than 60 years. This study characterized Brazilian hemodialysis patients in 2010, and may support further studies to monitor nutrition and epidemiological transitions of the population.

Políticas públicas de nutrição para o controle da obesidade infantil

OBJETIVO: Analisar criticamente as políticas públicas de nutrição brasileiras no controle da obesidade infantil. FONTES DE DADOS: Buscaram-se artigos, ensaios, resenhas, resoluções e legislações nas bases SciELO, Lilacs, PubMed, Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, Sistema de Legislação em Saúde e Legislação em Vigilância Sanitária, que abordavam políticas públicas de nutrição brasileiras no controle da obesidade infantil, publicados entre 1990 e 2010. Foram utilizadas as palavras-chaves: "obesidade", "sobrepeso", "criança", "escolar(es)", "políticas públicas", "política de saúde", "política de nutrição", "cantina escolar", "alimentação escolar", "propaganda de alimentos", "publicidade de alimentos", "rótulos alimentares", em português e em inglês. SÍNTESE DOS DADOS: O governo brasileiro, nos últimos anos, tem promulgado ações de promoção de saúde que visam ao combate da obesidade infantil, como o Programa Saúde na Escola, o Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar, a Regulamentação dos Alimentos Comercializados nas Cantinas Escolares, o Projeto Escola Saudável, a Promoção da Alimentação Saudável nas Escolas, os Dez Passos para a Promoção da Alimentação Saudável nas Escolas e a Regulamentação de Propaganda e Publicidade de Alimentos. Observa-se a necessidade de implementar e de fiscalizar as leis e regulamentações para o controle da obesidade infantil no Brasil, além de promover a alimentação saudável, nos aspectos que envolvem o público infantil. CONCLUSÕES: O projeto, o planejamento, a implementação e a gestão dessas políticas devem se apoiar na busca da transformação do problema social da obesidade.

Práticas alimentares cotidianas de mulheres obesas moradoras da Favela da Rocinha (Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil)

This article presents conclusions of research conducted at Ensp/Fiocruz, as part of a master's degree course. One of the objectives of the research to investigate the eating habits of women living in the Rocinha Shantytown (Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil) from a socio-anthropological perspective. The results revealed that the eating habits of the group were repetitive, with few variations in the menu consisting basically of rice, bean, sugars and fats. We further observed the rejection of industrialized and canned products. This food consumption pattern seems to conform to Brazilian food culture revealing the preservation of the national identity based on feeding habits. Consequently, it is necessary to set aside presuppositions regarding the relationship between food consumption and obesity, especially with respect to the predominant idea of changes in diet with the incorporation of a "modern" or "western" diet that prevail in studies in the field of nutrition in Brazil. In this sense, we signaled the need to reassert a multidimensional approach for studies about food and nutrition in the country. This proposal involves overcoming restricted conceptual outlooks and the creation of new avenues of investigation.

Effects of a conditional cash transfer programme on child nutrition in Brazil

To examine the association between Brazil's Bolsa Familia programme (BFP), which is the world's largest conditional cash transfer programme, and the anthropometric indicators of nutritional status in children. Using the opportunity provided by vaccination campaigns, the Brazilian government promotes Health and Nutrition Days to estimate the prevalence of anthropometric deficits in children. Data collected in 2005-2006 for 22 375 impoverished children under 5years of age were employed to estimate nutritional outcomes among recipients of Bolsa Família. All variables under study, namely child birth weight, lack of birth certificate, educational level and gender of family head, access to piped water and electricity, height for age, weight for age and weight for height, were converted into binary variables for regression analysis. Children from families exposed to the BFP were 26% more likely to have normal height for age than those from non-exposed families; this difference also applied to weight for age. No statistically significant deficit in weight for height was found. Stratification by age group revealed 19% and 41% higher odds of having normal height for age at 12-35 and 36-59 months of age, respectively, in children receiving Bolsa Familia, and no difference at 0-11 months of age. The BFP can lead to better nutritional outcomes in children 12 to 59 months of age. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm these findings.