Avaliação antropométrica e marcadores de consumo entre escolares.

Abstract

The National Strategy for the Prevention and Care of Childhood Obesity (PROTEJA) was established in August 2021 by the Ministry of Health, aiming to support and ensure changes and interventions that target the control of the advancement of childhood obesity. This work aims to evaluate the anthropometric indicators and food consumption markers of children and adolescents participating in PROTEJA in the year 2023, in Cuité, Paraíba. It is a documentary research, with quantitative data and a cross-sectional approach. The sample was intentional, anthropometric data of 1769 children and adolescents aged 05 to 19 years were evaluated, and 1593 responded to the food consumption markers, with 330 being less than or equal to five years old and 1439 being older than five years. Specifically, there were 33 children under 2 years; two to five years = 296; five to ten years = 866; from 15.01 to 20 years (N=572). Regarding children under five years old, it was found that the majority were male (50.16%), with adequate weight for age (90.85%), adequate height for age (82.72%), and eutrophic (68.32). Consecutively, high weight for age (5.19%) and the risk of overweight (19.25%) follow as the highest observed values, concluding with lower numbers the data related to low weight for age (3.05%), low height for age (8.33%), obesity (4.04%), and overweight (7.77%). The children over five years old evaluated showed a majority for the male sex (50.35%), adequate weight for age (88.22%), adequate height for age (97.0%), and eutrophy (73.0%). Subsequently, the prevalences of excess were verified, such as high weight for age (10%), overweight (15.10%), obesity (8.90%), and severe obesity (2.0%). Regarding the results of marked deficits, it was observed that only 0.18% presented very low weight for age, 1.60% low weight for age, 0.50% very low height for age, 2.50% low height for age, 0.50% marked thinness, and 0.50% pointed out thinness. In addition, food consumption markers were analyzed according to the evaluation of the food consumption questionnaire, in which the sample included 1566 students who participated in the data collection. It was verified that there is a satisfactory consumption of foods considered healthy, such as beans (82%) and fruits (66%). On the other hand, there was a low intake of the group of vegetables and greens, corroborated by the fact that the consumption of ultra-processed foods, such as sweetened beverages (60%) and filled biscuits, sweets, or snacks (52%) is equivalent to the consumption of vegetables and greens (51%), followed by 51% of the total sample that revealed the consumption of instant noodles, packet snacks, or salty biscuits and 39% that reported the consumption of hamburgers and/or processed meats. In the research, the students did not present high percentages exhibiting adequate weight for the most part, however, the number of students with excess weight is considered important. t is essential that diagnostic actions and interventions of PROTEJA are carried out, in addition to the strengthening of Primary Care and institutions and programs such as PNAE, which focus on obesity and all issues related to the population's food and nutrition.