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Nutritional status and lipid profile of young children in Brazil

Joilane Alves Pereira1, Patricia Helen Carvalho Rondó, Jesuana Oliveira Lemos

  • 1Nutrition Department, Federal University of Piauí, Campus Senador Helvídio Nunes de Barros, Rua Cícero Eduardo s/n, Bairro Junco, Picos, PI, CEP-64600-000, Brazil.

Journal of Tropical Pediatrics
|September 5, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Overweight/obesity affects 22% of young Brazilian children, with girls showing higher rates. Many children also exhibit concerning lipid profiles, indicating a need for early intervention.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Nutrition
  • Cardiovascular Health in Children
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Childhood obesity is a growing global concern.
  • Urban environments may influence children's nutritional status and metabolic health.
  • Early identification of nutritional and lipid abnormalities is crucial for long-term health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the nutritional status (overweight, obesity, thinness) of children aged 5-8 years.
  • To evaluate the lipid profile (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides) in this pediatric population.
  • To identify potential gender-specific differences in nutritional status and lipid parameters.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study was conducted with 472 children (aged 5-8 years) in Jundiai, Brazil.
  • Nutritional status was determined using body mass index for age.
  • Automated enzymatic methods were used to measure total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, and triglycerides.

Main Results:

  • Overweight/obesity prevalence was 22%, and thinness was 3.2%.
  • Girls had a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity (24.0%) and lower HDL cholesterol (22.8%) compared to boys.
  • 32.8% of children had elevated total cholesterol, and 26.7% had borderline levels, while 82.8% had desirable HDL levels.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights a significant prevalence of overweight/obesity and dyslipidemia in young urban Brazilian children.
  • These findings are concerning for this age group and suggest potential long-term health risks.
  • Early nutritional and metabolic screening is recommended for children in this region.
Abstract

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