Determinants of mild-to-moderate malnutrition in preschoolers in an urban area of Northeastern Brazil: a hierarchical approach.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the determinants of mild-to-moderate malnutrition in preschoolers.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study conducted in October and November 1996, with a representative sample of 1740 children less than 5 years old from the city of Salvador, situated in the Brazilian Northeastern region. Socio-economic and dietary data were collected through a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measures were performed in duplicate and data analysis was based upon the hierarchical model approach. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the prevalence ratio and to identify the determinants of mild-to-moderate deficits in weight-for-age and height-for-age Z-scores.


RESULTS
Family monthly income under US$67.00 per capita and family headed by a woman were the main basic determinants of mild-to-moderate weight-for-age and height-for-age deficits in the studied children. Household agglomeration, an underlying determinant, was associated with weight-for-age and height-for-age deficits. Among the immediate determinants, age above 6 months and dietary caloric availability in the lowest tertile (<930 kcal day-1) were also associated with weight-for-age deficits. In addition to these, hospitalisation in the 12 months preceding the interview was shown to be a predictor of mild-to-moderate weight-for-age and height-for-age deficits.


CONCLUSIONS
Adverse social and economic factors interact with family environmental factors to define food consumption and morbidity patterns that culminate in a high prevalence of mild-to-moderate malnutrition. The strengthening and restructuring of nutrition and healthcare actions, the definition of public policies that improve family income, and the adequate insertion of women in the labour market are possible strategies to reduce mild-to-moderate malnutrition and to sustain the decline already observed in severe malnutrition.
Oliveira Assis
Ana Marlúcia
AM
Escola de Nutrição, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Araújo Pinho 32, Canela 40110-150, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. amos@ufba.br
Barreto
Maurício Lima
ML
Magalhães de Oliveira
Lucivalda Pereira
LP
de Oliveira
Valterlinda Alves
VA
da Silva Prado
Matildes
M
da Silva Gomes
Gecynalda Soares
GS
Conceição Pinheiro
Sandra Maria
SM
Dos Santos
Nedja Silva
NS
Ribeiro da Silva
Rita de Cássia
Rde C
Ramos Sampaio
Lilian
L
Pacheco Santos
Leonor Maria
LM
D000886:Anthropometry; D001827:Body Height / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D015362:Child Nutrition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011203:Poverty; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires