[Nutritional data: what is available in Brazil?]

Available nutritional information in Brazil, generated by non-periodic population surveys, has scarcely contributed to the development of policies aimed at improving the nutritional status of the Brazilian population, although it has helped establish the magnitude and distribution of this problem. We suggest that data available in the various health information systems be used to feed, monitor, and evaluate nutritional policies, for updating and local follow-up purposes. Deficiencies in the quality of data available in these health information systems can be minimized through validation studies, thus improving the information generated by the system as a whole and consequently the quality of health care.