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Child undernutrition in Brazil: the wound that never healed

Maria Paula de Albuquerque1, Paola Micheloni Elvira Ibelli1, Ana Lydia Sawaya1

  • 1Centro de Recuperação e Educação Nutricional, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.

Jornal De Pediatria
|November 10, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Child undernutrition in Brazil decreased until 2006 but has since increased, particularly among Black and Brown children. Poverty and food insecurity are key determinants driving this concerning trend.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Nutrition Science

Background:

  • Child undernutrition remains a significant public health challenge in Brazil.
  • Socioeconomic factors, including poverty and food insecurity, are critical determinants of nutritional status.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze trends in child undernutrition (underweight, stunting, wasting) in Brazil from 1974 to 2021.
  • To identify key determinants, including socioeconomic factors and race/ethnicity, associated with child undernutrition.

Main Methods:

  • A narrative review of literature incorporating data from national surveys, surveillance systems, and targeted community searches.
  • Analysis of anthropometric data (weight-for-age, height-for-age, BMI-for-age) and socioeconomic indicators over several decades.

Main Results:

  • Child undernutrition rates decreased until 2006, after which underweight and wasting prevalence significantly increased.
  • Stunting rates, while initially decreasing, have stagnated and show higher prevalence in underserved communities and among Black and Brown children.
  • Poverty and food insecurity have worsened since 2015 and 2013, respectively, paralleling the rise in undernutrition.

Conclusions:

  • Brazil's social protection systems have been insufficient in mitigating socioeconomic inequalities driving child undernutrition.
  • The observed reversal in the declining trend of child undernutrition highlights the need for targeted interventions addressing poverty, food insecurity, and racial disparities.
Abstract

Keywords:
Child undernutritionPovertySocial inequalityStuntingUnderweightWasting

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