Estratégia nacional para prevenção e atenção à obesidade infantil PROTEJA: avaliação antropométrica e marcadores de consumo de crianças e adolescentes em Cuité, Paraíba.

Abstract

The National Strategy for the Prevention and Care of Childhood Obesity PROTEJA was instituted in August 2021 by the Ministry of Health, aiming to develop actions that contribute to the care of childhood obesity in Brazil. This work aims to analyze anthropometric data and food consumption markers of school-aged children and adolescents in Cuité, Paraíba. This is a survey with a quantitative approach that used data from a larger survey approved by an ethics committee. Data were collected from January to July 2022, the database was provided for analysis of weight, height and data from food consumption markers. Data were tabulated in Microsoft Office for Windows® package, quantitative data underwent simple descriptive statistics in the free software Statistical Analysis Software (PSPP) anthropometric indicators according to age (<5 years, 5 to 10 years, > 10 to 19 years old). Anthropometric indicators were analyzed: weight/age, weight/height, height/age and body mass index/age using the anthropometric analysis application WHO Antroplus® and WHO Anthro®. The cut-off points adopted were from the World Health Organization. The sample was intentional because the executing institution tried to guarantee the maximum number of children and adolescents being evaluated via the entrance of schools located in the municipality to guarantee food and nutritional surveillance in PROTEJA. 1240 children and adolescents were included and 1300 answered the consumption markers. Of these, 7.97% (N=99) were less than five years old and 92.03% (N=1141) were more than five years old, ranging from 5.01 to 7 years old (N=288); from 7.01 to 10 years (N=380); from 10.01 to 15 years old (N=438) and from 15.01 to 19 years old (N=37). With regard to children under five years old, it was found that the majority were male (60.6%), brown (72.7%), with adequate weight for age (87.9%), adequate height for age (97.0%) and eutrophic (72.7%). Children older than five years evaluated showed superiority for males (50.74%), for brown race (79.40%), adequate weight for age (50.83%), adequate height for age (96 .49%) and eutrophy (69.33%). In addition, food consumption markers were analyzed according to the evaluation of the food consumption questionnaire, in which the sample had 1300 students who participated in the data collection. It was found that there is a satisfactory consumption of foods considered healthy, such as beans (86%) and fruits (70%). On the other hand, the low intake of the greens and vegetables group was noticed, corroborated by the fact that the consumption of ultra-processed foods, such as sweetened drinks (60%) and stuffed cookies, sweets or sweets (57%) is equivalent to the consumption of greens and vegetables (57%), followed by 55% of the total sample who reported consumption of instant noodles, packaged snacks or crackers and 48% who reported consumption of hamburgers and/or sausages. In the research, the students did not present high percentages showing adequate weight in most cases, however, the number of overweight students is considered important. Furthermore, the results allow us to identify that, in general, current food consumption is characterized by a growing substitution of in natura foods for ultra-processed ones, generating consequences such as the growth of non-communicable chronic diseases. In this way, it is important that PROTEJA's diagnosis and transformation actions can be carried out, as well as that Primary Care is strengthened and dialogue with actors, programs and institutions such as the PNAE, universities and others that focus on obesity and all issues related to food and nutrition of the population, in addition to helping efficient public policies. The data were presented to the municipal managers, and the data serve to identify, search and organize care actions and follow-up of cases with nutritional deviations from the indicators.