Estado nutricional de crianças assistidas pela Pastoral da criança de Governador Valadares-MG

Abstract

Child nutritional status is influenced by multiple social, environmental, and family factors, especially in contexts marked by socioeconomic vulnerability. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and verify the existence of an association with sociodemographic, economic factors, and breastfeeding practices among children assisted by the Pastoral da Criança in the municipality of Governador Valadares, Brazil. This is a cross-sectional, observational, and quantitative study. Anthropometric assessment included measurements of weight and height, followed by the calculation of body mass index (BMI). The anthropometric indices height-for-age (H/A), weight- for-age (W/A), and BMI-for-age (BMI/A) were analyzed according to the criteria proposed by the Brazilian Food and Nutrition Surveillance System. Additionally, a semi-structured questionnaire was applied to collect sociodemographic, economic, and breastfeeding-related information. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), employing descriptive statistics and the Chi- square test to investigate associations between nutritional status (based on BMI/A) and sociodemographic, economic, and breastfeeding variables. Results showed that 31.4% of the children presented some degree of overweight and 14.1% had short stature. Maternal ethnicity showed a significant association with the child’s nutritional status; however, this relationship was not observed for the other variables analyzed. It is concluded that overweight and short stature are common problems among children assisted by the Pastoral da Criança of Governador Valadares. This study highlights the need to strengthen health promotion strategies, support families, and expand educational actions within the Pastoral da Criança to prevent nutritional disorders in the assisted population.