Short stature in children of Karapotó ethnic background, São Sebastião, Alagoas, Brazil

Abstract

Objective:To describe the prevalence of short stature among children of Karapotó ethnic background.Methods:Cross-sectional, population-based study that included children between 6 and 59 months of age from the Plak-Ô native village and the Terra Nova settlement, São Sebastião, Alagoas, carried out between 2008 and 2009. Short stature was evaluated by the Height/Ageindex, using as cutoff z score≤−2. The prevalence of short stature was determined by compa-ring simple and relative frequencies. The population growth curves were compared to the WHO reference curves. Data analysis included the outcome variable: Height/Age and the predictor variables: place of residence, gender, age, anemia, birth weight, family income, maternal literacy. The chi-square test was used to compare the categorical variables, where as the chi-square test with Yates correction was used for dichotomous variables, considering as statistically significant p-values≤0.05.Results:The prevalence of short stature was 15.6% for children from the Terra Nova settlement and 9.1% for those from Plak-Ô native village. The prevalence of short stature among the Karapotó ethnicity was 13.4%. The variables: maternal literacy, family income and low birth weight were statistically associated with short stature.Conclusions:The observed short stature prevalence rates are significant, being characterized as a public health problem. Among the associated factors, the following are noteworthy: unfavorable conditions of maternal literacy, family income and low birth weight. The planning of strategies to reverse the situation must take such factors into consideration.

Nutritional status of children under five years of age in the metropolitan health region I state of Pará: SISVAN web 2016 to 2020

“…The percentages of AI deficits identified in a study carried out with children aged 06 to 59 months from the Karapotó people -state of Alagoas, identified a percentage equal to 13.4%, a fact that highlights the problems linked to short stature in these individuals, these values are considered high and characterized as public health problems. The factors associated with this prevalence are maternal schooling, low birth weight, family income and housing conditions [15]. These conditions mentioned above are very similar to those found in the northern region, where the highest percentages of children with a height-for-age deficit are found among indigenous and Quilombolas children who live in conditions of poverty or extreme poverty in areas of difficult access and children of illiterate mothers [16,17].…”

Prevalence of anaemia in Brazilian children in different epidemiological scenarios: an updated meta-analysis

“…The studies were classified into four categories: childcare centres (n 13) (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25) ; health services (n 4) (26)(27)(28)(29) ; populations in social inequities (n 7) (30)(31)(32)(33)(34)(35)(36) , of which five involved indigenous peoples and two approached Quilombola communities; and population-based studies involving representative samples of Brazilian cities, regions or states (n 13) (37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42)(43)(44)(45)(46)(47)(48)(49) .…”

Prevalence of anemia among Indigenous children in Latin America: a systematic review

“…However, almost one-third of the studies were from Brazil (13 studies). Also, from the 39 Indigenous communities included in this systematic review, only four were part of more than one study: Aymara (2 studies in Bolivia) 24,65 , Quechua (1 study in Bolivia 23 , 1 study in Colombia 42 , and 1 study in Peru 58 ), Karapotó (2 studies in Brazil 27,30 ), and Xavante (2 studies in Brazil 25,26 ).…”