Undernutrition prevalence and social determinants in children aged 0-59 months, Niterói, Brazil

With the aim of diagnosing the nutritional status and nutritional social-economic determinants in children aged 0-59 months, 2194 children were studied in the three Health Districts of the city of Niterói, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil.

Data were obtained through a random sampling survey performed in the city's vaccination centres. Variables collected were maternal schooling, family income, dwelling's connection to safe water, dwelling's sewage connection, birthweight and the anthropometric indicators height/age (H/A; for stunting), weight/height (W/H; for wasting) and weight/age (W/A; for underweight). Undernutrition risk factors were identified with the help of logistic regression models for the age ranges 0-12 and 13-36 months.

Stunting and underweight levels were found to be above those of the NCHS reference, although, in general, at levels better than those frequently found in Third World countries. Low birthweight prevalence in the city was 9%, also above common levels in more developed countries. Undernutrition risks were, in general, higher for the younger age range. The variables family income, maternal schooling, water connection and birthweight could be characterized as important undernutrition risk factors, being most noticeable the effects of family income and birthweight both for the '0-12 months' and for the 'above 13 months' age ranges.

Although the city's problems are mostly concentrated on chronic undernutrition, more attention should be given to children's birthweight deficits, which appear to have effects on children's growth that extend for years after birth.