Adequacies and inadequacies in the anthropometric and dietetic profi les of preschool children

Abstract

Introduction: Nutritional conditions and food patterns in preschool children are elements that emphasise the importance of health monitoring in this period of nutritional transition, both to ensure nutritional adequacy and how much to intervene in identifi ed inadequacies. Hence, it may also constitute a strategy for public programs and school health services to make decisions. Objective: To analyse the anthropometric and dietary profi les of pre-schoolers of a pole city in Northeastern Brazil. Methods: This is a cross-sectional evaluative study with 114 children aged 2-5 years, of both genders, in three municipal centres of early childhood education. Anthropometry was used to measure weight and height, and the nutritional condition was assessed using the indexes Height for Age (H/A), Weight for Age (W/A), Weight for Height (W/H) and Body Mass Index for Age (BMI/A) in z-score values with classifi cations established by the World Health Organization. The food intake record was done by direct weighing of the food menu offered during a week in the three institutions. This procedure allowed for the evaluation of the nutritional composition of menus, from the estimates in percentages, average and standard deviations of total calories, macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids) and micronutrients (calcium, iron, vitamins A and C), to the adjustments and comparisons to the reference values of the Recommended Dietary Allowances, National Research Council and the PNAE recommendations, by age stages, in full-time units, 1-3 years, 700 kcal; 4-5 years, 950 kcal (70% coverage prediction of daily nutritional requirements) and the part-time units, these same ranges of age, respectively, 200 and 270 kcal (20% coverage for forecasting nutritional needs daily), considering adequate consumption to that with a variation of up to 10% above or below 100% of these recommendations. Results: Most of the preschool children had adequate nutritional conditions, especially those of full-time units, with relative frequencies (W/A: 94.5%; W/H: 89.5%, BMI/A: 81.7%). There were registered also overweight percentages higher than the defi cits, in the indices W/A (22.2%), P/E (33.3%) to municipal early childhood centre CMEI-A girls; the indices W/A, W/H, BMI/A (23.8% each) in CMEI B-boys. In relation to the adequacy of the food profi le, there was only convergence between the offer and the recommendation of 70% coverage of the daily energy needs, for pre-schoolers of 4-5 years from the centre of full-time units (mean: 951.2 ± 172.3 kcal). As for nutrients, inadequacies had a trend in the coverage of the daily needs on the menu offered in part-time units. Conclusion: Although most children do not present indicative of nutritional risk, requires attention to food portion that was with inadequacies of nutritional condition, with emphasis on weight surplus, while the readjustments in per capita and in portions of the menu implemented in those locations.

Dietary calcium intake in Brazilian preschoolers and schoolchhildren: review of the literature

“…When evaluating the daycare center and school schedule, Tavares et al 11 concluded that children attending private daycare centers have a higher prevalence of calcium intake than public daycare students. Besides, Alencar et al 14 identified a more significant inadequacy of dietary calcium consumption among part-time preschoolers (61.1-78.2%) compared to fulltime students (33.7%).…”

Adequacy of school menus and national school food program requirements: a systematic review

“…Finally, 12 studies that met eligibility criteria were included (Figure 1). Of the 12 selected studies, 4 evaluated the adequacy of menus [13][14][15][16] and eight evaluated the purchase of family farming products. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] Of the selected studies, most were published between 2018 and 2019 (n=7).…”

Evaluation of growth and nutritional condition of children in Public Schools in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil

“…This high growth of height and BMI can happen as a result of a nutritional transition, in which children of new generations tend to grow more, due to constant adjustments that the human being has been subjected in recent years, among them changes in nutrition 22 .…”