Anemia em crianças indígenas da etnia Karapotó

Abstract

Objectives

Anemia e níveis de hemoglobina em crianças indígenas Xavante, Brasil Central

“…This scenario is consistent with the elevated prevalence of anemia observed in this study [19][20][21] . Age of the child was an important explanatory factor for hemoglobin concentration and prevalence of anemia among the Xavante, which is comparable with observations from other studies of Indigenous [4][5][6]14 and non-Indigenous populations 22,23 in Brazil. The age group < 2 years old is recognized as the most vulnerable phase of life for nutritional and infectious disesases 24 .…”

“…Different results for relationships between socioeconomic variables and the two indicators of iron deficiency, anemia and mean hemoglobin levels, among Xavante children should be interpreted not only in terms of their specific socioeconomic context, but also in light of studies recently undertaken with other Indigenous groups in Brazil that did not indicate a uniform relationship between traditional socioeconomic indicators and child health 5,21,32 , possibly because local Indigenous economies often involve different dynamics from the national economy. Due to a tendency for physical and sanitation characteristics of Xavante households in Pimentel Barbosa village to be uniform, we did not evaluate other variables typically used to characterize the socioeconomic profile of rural households and commonly considered "protective" with regard to the anemia occurrence, such as type of flooring, roofing, waste disposal, and/or source of drinking water.…”

“…As observed in other studies 6,16,18,23 , Xavante children with linear growth deficits also showed higher prevalence of anemia, suggesting a relation between undernutrition and low hemoglobin levels. However, some studies conducted among Indigenous peoples 5,18,25 as well as among non-Indigenous peoples [26][27][28] do not document this association, suggesting it is multicausal. The determination of nutritional status, including anemia, is related to numerous factors including socioeconomic condition, basic sanitation, occurrence of infectious and parasitic diseases, and diet, among others.…”

“…Comparing the prevalence of anemia among Indigenous children < 5 years old nationally (51.2%) and in the Central-West region (51.5%) with that documented in the present study (62.2%), the Xavante present a less favorable scenario 6 . However, epidemiological studies of anemia among Indigenous children < 5 years old in communities in the Southeast and North regions of the country similarly showed prevalence rates higher than 60% 3,5 . Anemia prevalence rates among Xavante children are considerably higher when compared with the national non-Indigenous population, reaching a three-fold difference 2 .…”

“…Studies about the epidemiology of anemia in Indigenous children in Brazil have been conducted in recent decades, revealing, in many cases, prevalences above 60-70% [3][4][5] . According to the First National Survey of Health and Nutrition of Indigenous Peoples, performed in 2008 and 2009, more than half (51.4%) of Indigenous children under 5 years of age in the country had anemia, with the highest prevalence for those under 2 years of age (74.2%) 6 .…”