Nutritional status of children from Caxiuanã National Forest, Brazil

Riverine populations of the Brazilian Amazon are considered invisible and vulnerable and their health conditions have been poorly studied. We analyzed the health of 138 children aged 0 to 9 years old living in and around the Caxiuanã National Forest, Melgaço municipality, Pará, Brazil. Anthropometric measurements, clinical examinations, and bioanthropological questionnaires were performed to compare to World Health Organization parameters. There was significant difference between boys and girls from 0 to 4 years old in Height for Age (p = 0.038), with slightly smaller boys. About 13.9% of boys, aged 0 to 4 and 10.5% of girls, aged 5 to 9 years old were severely undernourished. More than 33% of the population had -2 Z scores, indicating long-term food deficiency or severe disease. Almost 13% of children from 0 to 4 years old are at risk of overweight, characterizing the nutritional transition. Despite malnutrition dropping in the Brazilian child population, for riverine children, growth is precarious, as the social determinants of health continue to affect the quality of life of these populations. There is no environmental sanitation in the communities, most homes do not have internal toilet, there is little access to education and health, and the water used is still from river or wells. Although there are some public policies for these populations, the situation of children from Caxiuanã National Forest remains a reflection of other rural Amazonian populations, requiring firmer and continuous government interventions.