Prevalence of anemia in under five-year-old children in a children's hospital in Recife, Brazil

INTRODUCTION: Anemia is a nutritional problem of global importance. It is estimated that at least one-third of the population has been at one time anemic. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of anemia and associated factors in patients of a children's hospital in Recife. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was developed involving 595 male and female children aged from 6 to 59 months old, who were hospitalized in 2007. RESULTS: Children with a hemoglobin concentration less than 11 g/dL were considered anemic. The relationship between studied variables and anemia was evaluated by Poisson regression analysis. There was a 56.6 percent prevalence of anemia (95 percent CI: 46.6-54.6). Anemia was significantly correlated with low weight (Prevalence ratio - PR = 1.39; 95 percent CI: 1.18-1.64), young age (PR = 2.01; 95 percent CI: 1.57-2.56) and a diagnosis of acute lower respiratory disease (PR = 1.57; 95 percent CI: 1.27-1.96). CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of anemia suggests that it may contribute as a causal factor for hospitalization, especially because the period of hospitalization was short and the patient was likely to be anemic at the time of admission. This study stresses the importance of evaluating the overall nutritional status of patients, including their ingestion of microelements. This is especially important in children, because of their greater susceptibility to anemia. Measures directed at the prevention and control of anemia, including increased coverage of supplementation and fortification programs are strongly recommended.

Nível de informação da população e utilização dos mecanismos institucionais de participação social em saúde em dois municipios do Nordeste do Brasil / Level of community information and use of mechanisms for social participation in health in two municipalities of Northeast Brazil

A reforma do setor saúde no Brasil contempla como eixo fundamental a democratização dos serviços de saúde através do exercício do controle social sobre o sistema de saúde. Foram desenhados diversos mecanismos de participação nos serviços de saúde. No artigo analisam-se o nível de informação e a utilização pela população dos mecanismos de participação em saúde diretos: Conselhos Municipais de Saúde, Conferências de Saúde, Disque-Saúde e Ouvidoria de Saúde; e um indireto, a Superintendência de Proteção e Defesa do Consumidor (Procon). Realizou-se um inquérito populacional, com questionário estruturado, em uma amostra de 1.590 usuários dos serviços de saúde, em dois municípios de Pernambuco. Cerca de metade da população entrevistada afirmava conhecer o Disque Saúde, a Caixa de Queixas e o CMS; os outros mecanismos diretos eram muito menos conhecidos. A maioria dos entrevistados afirmou conhecer o Procon (80 por cento). A finalidade do mecanismo, exceto para o Procon, foi definida de forma vaga ou inexata. A taxa de utilização não superou 5 por cento. Os resultados parecem indicar que houve avanço, embora o desafío continue sendo levar à prática as conquistas no plano legal, começando por melhorar a informação à população.

A fundamental plank of the health sector reforms in Brazil is the democratization of health services by exercising social control upon the health system. A series of institutional mechanisms for social participation in the health services were designed. This paper analyses people's knowledge and experiences with institutional direct mechanisms (Municipal Health Council, Health Conferences, Disque Saúde and health ombudsman) and an indirect mechanism (PROCON). A questionnaire survey to a sample of 1590 health services users was carried out, in two municipalities of Pernambuco. Around half of the interviewed population declared themselves aware of the existence of Disque Saúde, suggestions boxes and the Municipal Health Council. The other direct mechanisms were less well known and the PROCON was known by the majority of the interviewees (80 percent). The functions of any mechanism, except for PROCON, were often inaccurately and vaguely defined. The take-up rate did not exceed 5 percent. These results seem to indicate that some progress was made, but the challenge of transforming legal gains into policy practices continues to remain, beginning with improving the provision of information to the population.