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[Evaluation of a supplementary nutrition program]
M R Gutierrez1, H Bettiol, M A Barbieri
1Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Departamento de Puericultura e Pediatria, Brasil.
Insights
This study found that a feeding supplementation program temporarily improved growth in malnourished children under 5. However, the program was insufficient for sustained recovery and normal growth, especially long-term.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional science
- Pediatric health
- Public health interventions
Context:
- Undernourished children under 5 years old in Guariba, São Paulo, Brazil, are a vulnerable population.
- A feeding supplementation program, sponsored by the State Health Secretariat, aimed to address malnutrition.
- Assessing the long-term efficacy of nutritional interventions is crucial for child development.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the impact of a feeding supplementation program on the anthropometric profile of malnourished children.
- To determine the effectiveness of the program in promoting weight and height recovery over different enrollment durations.
- To analyze the sustainability of growth improvements achieved through supplementation.
Summary:
- 469 malnourished children were divided into four groups based on program enrollment duration (up to 12, 12-24, 24-36, and over 36 months).
- Weight-for-age, height-for-age, and weight-for-height percentiles were calculated and analyzed.
- Groups with shorter enrollment (1 and 2) showed weight recovery and improved weight-for-height ratios, while longer-term groups (3 and 4) showed diminished or reversed progress.
Impact:
- The feeding supplementation program demonstrated a temporary positive effect on severe nutritional deficiencies.
- Sustained recovery and maintenance of normal growth were not achieved, particularly in children enrolled for longer periods.
- Findings suggest the need for more comprehensive and long-term strategies to combat childhood malnutrition effectively.
Abstract:
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a feeding supplementation program on the growth of undernourished children younger than 5 years in the city of Guariba, state of São Paulo, Brazil. The sample consisted of 469 malnourished children enrolled in a feeding supplementation program sponsored by the State Health Secretariat. The children were divided into four groups according to how long they had been enrolled in the program: in group 1, the children had been enrolled for up to 12 months; in group 2, from 12 to 24 months; in group 3 from 24 to 36 months; and in group 4 the children had been enrolled for more than 35 months. Percentiles for weight/age, height/age and weight/height were calculated for each child. To assess the impact of the program, reference curves for the anthropometric profile were constructed based on expected variations in population percentiles. The changes observed in each group were analyzed statistically (McNemar). Groups 1 and 2 presented weight recovery and gains in the weight/height ratios for the most severely malnourished children; in group 3, the weight/height ratio was maintained and there was a discrete tendency towards weight recovery, which was reversed in group 4, in which the weight was again low in relation to height. The feeding supplementation program temporarily minimized severe nutritional deficiencies but was not sufficient to recover and maintain normal growth.