Um retrato do estado nutricional de crianças menores de 5 anos e idosos: diferenciais regionais sociais e demográficos, Brasil, 2009

Abstract

This study aimed to diagnose the nutritional status of children under the age of 5 and elderly in Brazil in 2009, as well as to characterize these nutritional profiles according to social, demographic and regional differences. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted by using data from the Brazilian Household Budget Survey (POF-2008/2009) which assessed children under 5 years old (n = 14,569), as the focus for the first article; and individuals aged equal of above 60 years old (n = 20,114), as for the second article. The nutritional status of children was classified in consonance with weight-for-age, height-for-age and weight-for-height indexes; and according to Body Mass Index (BMI) as for the elderly. The Pearson’s association test, logistic regression and correspondence analysis were used in order to determine the association between social and demographic variables with the nutritional status of children. The associations between the elderly nutritional status and the social and demographic variables were assessed by using Pearson’s association test and multilevel linear models. A comparison analysis regarding mean BMI between administrative units of the country was also conducted through ANOVA and Tukey tests. The significance level of 5% was considered for all tests. The results showed higher prevalence of nutritional deficits in children from the North and Northeast regions, belonging to families with lower per capita income (up to ¼ of the minimum wage and ¼ to ½ of it) and black and indigenous children populations. When it comes to overweight, it was noticed a greater association with white male children from the South, Southeast and Centre-west regions, who reside in the urban stratum of the country and belong to families with intermediate per capita income levels (½ to 1 of the minimum wage and 1 to 5 of it).A higher prevalence of underweight was noticed among black and yellow elderly male, the oldest old (80 and over), with per capita income of up to ¼ of the minimum wage, with lower levels of education, living in rural stratum, from the Northeast and Centre-west regions and those who reported residing alone. The occurrence of obesity was more prevalent among female elderly, younger (60-69 years old), with the highest rates of per capita income, living in the South and Southeast regions, in urban stratum and those who reported residing alone. The continuity of monitoring and studying the determinants of nutritional status of children and the elderly is suggested in contemplation of establishing appropriate strategies of intervention to the most vulnerable population groups at nutritional risk