Perfil epidemiológico das internações por desnutrição infantil no Brasil.

Abstract

Nutritional status is a variable that results from the direct relationship between food intake and the individual's energy expenditure, facilitating the evaluation and identification of eating disorders. In this context, malnutrition is seen as a public health problem, with a greater number of cases in the underdeveloped countries and is mainly due to poverty, poor environmental conditions and the social reality in which the affected populations live. The present study aims to trace the epidemiological profile of hospitalizations due to malnutrition in children aged 0 to 9 years in Brazil during the year 2017. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive, quantitative, comprehensive epidemiological study developed from the Hospital Information System (SIH), available online at the Department of Information Technology of SUS (DATASUS). With the accomplishment of the research the northeastern region was identified with the highest number of hospital admissions for child malnutrition. Regarding the character of care of hospitalizations, it was observed that there was a prevalence of emergency hospitalizations. The age group less than 1 year corresponds to more than 50% of the cases and there was still a prevalence of non-white race in the color / race question. Given the results obtained, it is possible to increase the knowledge, mainly of the professionals involved in the assistance in the early stages of life so that they become able to recognize such an aggravation and act before it. It is important to emphasize the importance of childcare in promoting a systematic follow-up of the child, assessing their level of growth and development in a continuous way, so that the child reaches its full potential, avoiding problems such as malnutrition.