BackgroundAnemia is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency globally, affecting about a quarter of the world population. In Brazil, about one-fifth of children under five years of age are anemic. Previous case studies indicate prevalence rates much higher among indigenous peoples in the country. The First National Survey of Indigenous People’s Health and Nutrition in Brazil, conducted in 2008–2009, was the first survey based on a nationwide representative sample to study the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among indigenous children in Brazil.MethodsThe survey assessed the health and nutritional status of indigenous children < 5 years of age based on a representative sample of major Brazilian geopolitical regions. A stratified probabilistic sampling was carried out for indigenous villages. Within villages, children < 5 years of age in sampled households were included in the study. Prevalence rates of anemia were calculated for independent variables and hierarchical multivariate analysis were conducted to assess associations.ResultsEvaluation of hemoglobin levels was conducted for 5,397 children (88.1% of the total sample). The overall prevalence of anemia was 51.2%. Higher risk of presenting anemia was documented for boys, lower maternal schooling, lower household socioeconomic status, poorer sanitary conditions, presence of maternal anemia, and anthropometric deficits. Regional differences were observed, with the highest rate being observed in the North.ConclusionsThe prevalence rates of anemia in indigenous children were approximately double than those reported for non-indigenous Brazilian children in the same age group. Similarly notable differences in the occurrence of anemia in indigenous and non-indigenous children have been reported for other countries. Deeper knowledge about the etiology of anemia in indigenous children in Brazil is essential to its proper treatment and prevention.

This study compares anthropometric and ecological profiles of two Xavánte indigenous communities in Mato Grosso, Central Brazil. The research describes time allocation patterns and involves an anthropometric survey (including body mass, stature, and BMI) in adults over 20 years of age. Data from Etéñitépa (also known as Pimentel Barbosa) were collected in 1994. Field work at São José was conducted in 1998 and 1999. Compared with the São José group, Xavánte in Etéñitépa do more subsistence activities like farming, fishing, hunting, and gathering. The São José Xavánte do more paid work and generally engage in less physical activity. Average stature in the two communities is similar, but there are major differences in mean body mass and BMI. The São José group has average BMI values well over those of the Etéñitépa group in practically all age brackets. Obesity prevalence rates were high in both men (24.6%) and women (41.3%) in São José, while in Etéñitépa the rates were only 2.5% and 4.8%, respectively. The authors conclude that the different nutritional profiles in the two communities result from specific patterns of social, political, and economic interactions with Brazilian society.

High prevalence rates of overweight and obesity are increasingly common among indigenous Amazonian societies experiencing greater involvement in market economies. An important factor in such nutritional transition is internal socioeconomic differentiation, which partially accounts for fatness frequencies. We report the results of a diachronic anthropometric comparison and crosssectional anthropometric and socioeconomic survey of Xavante adults from a single, large community. Our data show an accelerated nutrition transition, with significant weight and BMI increases for males and females between 1962 and 2006. We also found income and wealth to be significantly associated with fatness measures for both sexes combined and for females separately. We interpret the observed gender differences as reflecting differences between male and female social dietary practices. Comparison with other studies in the Amazon region suggests that the relationships between internal socioeconomic differentiation and dietary health vary between cultural and economic settings. We also argue that parallels between Xavante health perspectives and epidemiological interpretations demonstrate the potential for proactive interchange between native and scientific health discourses.

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BackgroundThe aim of this study was to characterize the nutritional status of Xavante Indian children less than 10 years of age in Central Brazil and to evaluate the hypothesis of an association between child nutrition and socioeconomic differentiation in this population.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in July 2006 that included all children under the age of 10 from the Xavante village Pimentel Barbosa in Mato Grosso, Brazil. The data collected included weight, height, and sociodemographic information. Sociodemographic data were used to generate two indices ("income" and "wealth") and to determine the proportion of adults in each household. Descriptive analyses were performed for weight-for-age (W/A), height-for-age (H/A), and weight-for-height (W/H) using the NCHS and the WHO growth references. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using H/A and W/A as a response variables.ResultsOf a total of 246 children under the age of ten residing in the village, 232 (94.3%) were evaluated. Following the NCHS reference, 5.6% of children under the age of ten presented low W/A and 14.7% presented low H/A. Among children under the age of five, deficit percentages for weight and height were 4.5% and 29.9%, respectively, following the WHO curves. Among children < 2 years of age, H/A index variability was found to be directly related to child's age and inversely related to the proportion of adults in the household. Maternal BMI was positively associated with growth for children from 2 to 4 years of age, explaining 11.5% of the z-score variability for the H/A index. For children 5 years of age and older, the wealth index and maternal height were positively associated with H/A. No significant associations were found using W/A as the dependent variable.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that undernutrition, in particular linear growth deficit, is a notable health issue for Xavante children. These findings contrast with the nutritional profile observed among Brazilian children nationally, which is characterized by a sharp decline in child undernutrition in recent decades, even in the poorest regions of the country. This discrepancy calls attention to the persistent health disparities that exist between indigenous and non-indigenous people in Brazil.

OBJETIVO: Apresentar o delineamento e a experimentação de método educativo para promoção da alimentação saudável, tendo a culinária como seu eixo estruturante. MÉTODOS: Os referenciais teóricos adotados foram: preceitos da promoção da saúde, concepção crítica de educação em saúde, direito humano à alimentação adequada e segurança alimentar e nutricional e reflexões sobre cultura alimentar no contexto da contemporaneidade. As etapas de desenvolvimento do projeto contemplaram: identificação de representantes dos grupos de interesse (merendeiras, professores de ensino fundamental, adolescentes e profissionais de saúde da atenção básica, incluindo equipes de Saúde da Família); estruturação e experimentação, na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, do modelo de ação educativa; análise dos materiais coletados e confecção de materiais educativos. RESULTADOS: O modelo proposto e experimentado consistiu em oficina educativa estruturada em: vivência culinária; debate entre os participantes; encontro denominado Temperando Conceitos, no qual foram aprofundados os temas surgidos no debate; e encontro de avaliação de todo o projeto. Foram realizadas oito oficinas educativas envolvendo 116 participantes, que avaliaram o modelo proposto como capaz de os sensibilizar sobre o tema e incentivar para mudanças em relação à sua prática profissional e pessoal. CONCLUSÃO: O modelo experimentado configura-se em inovação metodológica no campo das práticas educativas para promoção da alimentação saudável e mostrou-se factível de ser aplicado. Como forma de continuidade do estudo, está em curso projeto de pesquisa para desenvolvimento de método educativo voltado à formação de multiplicadores para a promoção da alimentação saudável, utilizando o modelo aqui apresentado como uma de suas estratégias educativas.

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