Nutritional status of children in Alagoas state cities according to SISVAN

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.201741016876

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the nutritional status of children under five in the most populated municipalities
of Alagoas, and to compare the results with the population referring in the Northeast of Brazil and all of Brazil, using
data from SISVAN, 2013. The populations studied, according to the municipalities were 10,642, 4,351, 1,752, 803
and 3,207 children in Maceio, Arapiraca, Palmeira dos Indios, Rio Largo and União dos Palmares, respectively.
For the northeast region, the total was 225,252 children and for Brazil, 527,243. The cross-sectional study used as
outcome variables, stunting and overweight, the Body Mass Index/Age and Height/Age, respectively, according to the
WHO classification. The stunting ranged from 9% to 15% in the cities studied. In Alagoas, Brazil, and the Northeast,
prevalence was approximately 14%. Regarding the risk of overweight, prevalence rates were found between 16% to
20%. Overweight was approximately 13% and obesity from 7.6% to 12.8% in the municipalities of Alagoas. Brazil,
Alagoas and the Northeast showed a prevalence for overweight from 17.1% to 19.5%. Excess weight showed high
among children, in the evaluated areas without malnutrition has been eradicated. Therefore, the importance of SISVAN
for the nutritional diagnosis and the implementation of health improvement policies of the population assisted by the
SUS must be recognized.