Crescimento físico de crianças indígenas xavantes de 5 a 10 anos de idade em Mato Grosso / Physical growth of five to ten year old Xavante indian children in Mato Grosso

RESUMO

Objetivo: Investigar o perfil de crescimento físico de crianças xavantes de 5 a 10 anos de idade, que vivem nas Terras Indígenas Sangradouro-Volta Grande e São Marcos (Mato Grosso). Métodos: O inquérito foi realizado em fevereiro de 1997 em duas escolas indígenas administradas por missionários salesianos. A amostra incluiu 233 crianças entre 5 e 10 anos incompletos. Foram coletados dados referentes a data de nascimento, peso, estatura, perímetro braquial e dobra cutânea tricipital. Para estatura e peso, as informações xavantes foram comparadas com as curvas do National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), preconizadas pela Organização Mundial da Saúde. Resultados: Os resultados demonstram que 9% das crianças xavantes apresentam valores de estatura/idade inferiores a -2 escores z. No caso dos meninos, há diferenças estatisticamente significantes (p

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study investigated the physical growth of Xavante indian children 5-10 years of age living at the Sangradouro and São Marcos reservations, Mato Grosso, Central Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in February 1997 at two Indian schools. The following data were collected: birth date, sex, weight, stature, upper arm circumference and triceps skinfold thickness. Data on stature and weight were compared to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth curves, following recommendations put forward by the World Health Organization. Results: The results show that 9% of the sample were below -2 S.D. for height for age. For boys, statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in height for age and weight for age z-score values were observed between the two communities. Similar differences were not observed for girls. Xavante children are shorter in stature than D.S. childrenoHowever, for some age groups, their average values of stature overlap with those ofBrazilian children investigated by the PesquisaNacional sobre Saúde e Nutrição (PNSN). Conclusions: The physical growth of Xavante children present important differences when compared to the growth profile of a number of other SouthAmerican indigenous populations. It is argued that NorthAmerican curves might be appropriate to evaluate the nutritional status of the Xavante children.

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study investigated the physical growth of Xavante indian children 5-10 years of age living at the Sangradouro and São Marcos reservations, Mato Grosso, Central Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in February 1997 at two Indian schools. The following data were collected: birth date, sex, weight, stature, upper arm circumference and triceps skinfold thickness. Data on stature and weight were compared to the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth curves, following recommendations put forward by the World Health Organization. Results: The results show that 9% of the sample were below -2 S.D. for height for age. For boys, statistically significant differences (p<0.05) in height for age and weight for age z-score values were observed between the two communities. Similar differences were not observed for girls. Xavante children are shorter in stature than D.S. childrenoHowever, for some age groups, their average values of stature overlap with those ofBrazilian children investigated by the PesquisaNacional sobre Saúde e Nutrição (PNSN). Conclusions: The physical growth of Xavante children present important differences when compared to the growth profile of a number of other SouthAmerican indigenous populations. It is argued that NorthAmerican curves might be appropriate to evaluate the nutritional status of the Xavante children.