Biomaterial Database

Nutritional status and dietary habits of Indian children from Alto Xingu (Central Brazil) according to age. 1999

A Mattos, and M B Morais, and D A Rodrigues, and R G Baruzzi

Department of Pediatrics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo-Escola Paulista de Medicina, Brazil.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the nutritional status and dietary habits of children of the Alto Xingu, Central Brazil, according to age. METHODS 172 Indian children (<10 years of age) of Alto Xingu tribes. METHODS Date of birth, sex, weight, height (NCHS reference) and questionnaire of dietary habits at the time of field work. RESULTS Of the 103 children less than 5 years of age, 34% presented protein-energy malnutrition (PEM), according to Gomez's criteria, of which only 2% with grade II malnutrition and no child presented severe PEM. In relation to the Z scores for the 172 children studied, it was observed that those younger than 1 year (n=25) presented weight for age (median, M=+0.43) and weight for height (M=+1.33) greater (p<0.05) than the children with ages between 12 and 60 months (n=78) (weight for age, M=-0.54; weight for height, M=+0.29) and between 60 and 120 months (n=69) (weight for age, M=-0.78; weight for height, M=+0.27). The height for age Z scores for the population studied showed a shift to the left in relation to the reference population in the three age groups (<12 months, M=-0.95; 12 to 60 months, M=-1.22 and 60 to 120 months, M=-1.40). The mothers nursed, without exception, to the age of 24 months, and the frequency of breastfeeding decreased progressively to age 42 months. The introduction of solid foods started at the age of 6 months and after the 10th month all the children ate "beiju" (flat bread), fruit and fish. CONCLUSIONS The nutritional status of Alto Xingu Indian children, in 1992, is adequate and similar to that previously observed between 1974 and 1980.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007199	Indians, South American	Members of indigenous South American populations with pre-colonial contact origins.	Amerinds, South American,Indigenous South Americans,American Amerind, South,American Indian, South,American, Indigenous South,Americans, Indigenous South,Amerind, South American,Indian, South American,Indigenous South American,South American Amerind,South American Amerinds,South American Indian,South American Indians,South American, Indigenous,South Americans, Indigenous
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D009749	Nutrition Surveys	A systematic collection of factual data pertaining to the nutritional status of a human population within a given geographic area. Data from these surveys are used in preparing NUTRITION ASSESSMENTS.	NHANES,National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,Nutritional Surveys,Nutrition Survey,Nutritional Survey,Survey, Nutrition,Survey, Nutritional,Surveys, Nutrition,Surveys, Nutritional
D009752	Nutritional Status	State of the body in relation to the consumption and utilization of nutrients.	Nutrition Status,Status, Nutrition,Status, Nutritional
D011502	Protein-Energy Malnutrition	The lack of sufficient energy or protein to meet the body's metabolic demands, as a result of either an inadequate dietary intake of protein, intake of poor quality dietary protein, increased demands due to disease, or increased nutrient losses.	Marasmus,Protein-Calorie Malnutrition,Malnutrition, Protein-Calorie,Malnutrition, Protein-Energy,Malnutritions, Protein-Energy,Protein Calorie Malnutrition,Protein Energy Malnutrition
D011795	Surveys and Questionnaires	Collections of data obtained from voluntary subjects. The information usually takes the form of answers to questions, or suggestions.	Community Survey,Nonrespondent,Questionnaire,Questionnaires,Respondent,Survey,Survey Method,Survey Methods,Surveys,Baseline Survey,Community Surveys,Methodology, Survey,Nonrespondents,Questionnaire Design,Randomized Response Technique,Repeated Rounds of Survey,Respondents,Survey Methodology,Baseline Surveys,Design, Questionnaire,Designs, Questionnaire,Methods, Survey,Questionnaire Designs,Questionnaires and Surveys,Randomized Response Techniques,Response Technique, Randomized,Response Techniques, Randomized,Survey, Baseline,Survey, Community,Surveys, Baseline,Surveys, Community,Techniques, Randomized Response
D012016	Reference Values	The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality.	Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D001938	Brazil	A country located on the eastern coast of South America, located between Colombia and Peru, that borders the Atlantic Ocean. It is bordered on the north by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, on the south by Uruguay, and on the west by Argentina. The capital is Brasilia.