[Promoting a healthy diet in childhood: weaknesses in the context of Primary Health Care]

Ultra-processed foods consumption among children and associated socioeconomic and demographic factors

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the consumption of ultra-processed foods among children, and to investigate associations with socioeconomic and demographic factors.

METHODS

An analytical cross-sectional study with 599 children aged 6 months to 2 years, and listed as users of Family Health Units, in a medium-size city. Mothers were approached at home by researchers and community health workers from the Family Health Units, for data collection. Two questionnaires were used: the socioeconomic and demographic questionnaire, and the form Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional of Ministério da Saúde do Brasil , for children aged 6 months to 2 years. Ultra-processed food consumption and socioeconomic and demographic factors were defined as dependent and independent variables, respectively. Multiple regression analysis with a significance level of 5% was used to test associations between ultra-processed food consumption and socioeconomic and demographic variables.

RESULTS

Ultra-processed food consumption was associated with child age between 1 and 2 years (OR=3.89; 95%CI: 2.32-6.50 and OR=3.33; 95%CI: 2.00-5.56, respectively), number of people living in the same household (OR=1.94; 95%CI: 1.23-3.05), and recipients of government benefits (OR=1.88; 95%CI: 1.15-3.04).

CONCLUSION

Ultra-processed food consumption among children undergoing complementary feeding may be influenced by socioeconomic and demographic factors.

Factors associated with feeding practices among Brazilian children aged 12 to 23 months old

Abstract Objectives: a quantitative analytical cross-sectional study aimed to identify demographic characteristics to access health services and housing conditions in relation to inadequate feeding practices among Brazilian children from 12 to 23 months of age. Methods: the analysis of the feeding practices (consumption of recommended food groups) of 2541 Brazilian children (aged 12-23 months old) was performed using data from the Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde 2013 (National Health Survey). Descriptive and multivariate statistics used the Decision Tree Analysis based on CHAID (Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector) algorithm, as well as hierarchically adjusted Poisson regression analyses were performed. The variables were entered in a hierarchical model at distal (demographic), intermediate (access to health) and proximal (housing conditions) levels. Results: the results showed a high prevalence of sugar consumption (85.5%; CI95%=83.7-87.2) and highlighted inadequate feeding practices among non-white children (p=0.001), resident in the North (p<0.001) and Northeast (p=0.010) of Brazil and in towns in the countryside (p<0.001) presented feeding practices that were not recommended for consumption in the food groups. Conclusions: non-white children, who lived in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil and in the countryside, which are known to be more socioeconomically vulnerable, were more likely to experience inadequate feeding practices.

Percepção de enfermeiros sobre o cuidado nutricional à criança na Estratégia Saúde da Família

RESUMO Objetivou-se analisar a percepção de enfermeiros sobre o cuidado nutricional de crianças menores de cinco anos. Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo envolvendo 18 profissionais de equipes de saúde da família de dois municípios da região metropolitana de João Pessoa, Paraíba. Realizou-se entrevista com foco na importância do desenvolvimento das ações de alimentação e nutrição para o cuidado nutricional da criança. As entrevistas foram conduzidas por meio de um roteiro de perguntas. O material foi submetido à análise de conteúdo e dela emergiram quatro categorias temáticas. Os enfermeiros apontaram a utilidade dos manuais do Ministério da Saúde para as ações de atenção nutricional e a educação em alimentação saudável como a prática mais importante desse cuidado. Entretanto, destacaram a situação socioeconômica das famílias e a capacitação dos profissionais como empecilhos para o desenvolvimento das ações. Ainda, apontaram a importância da atuação do nutricionista junto à equipe multidisciplinar para o desenvolvimento das ações de alimentação e nutrição. Além da necessidade implícita de capacitação em nutrição, evidencia-se a valorização dos documentos técnicos do Ministério da Saúde e do nutricionista para a melhoria do cuidado nutricional de crianças menores de cinco anos.