Com o objetivo de estudar o consumo alimentar de adolescentes matriculados em um colégio particular de Teresina, realizou-se estudo transversal através de amostragem sistemática. A freqüência de consumo de alimentos expressa em dias por semana foi obtida mediante questionário administrado individualmente ao aluno. O estado nutricional foi avaliado pelo Índice de Massa Corporal, considerando com sobrepeso valores > ou = P85. Os resultados indicam prevalência elevada de risco para o sobrepeso (19,8%) nos 334 adolescentes. Os meninos consumiram com maior freqüência alimentos energéticos (milho, manteiga, pizza, lasanha, sucos industrializados, refrigerantes) e construtores (frango, ovos, leguminosas) em relação às meninas (p < 0,05). Os adolescentes de 10 a 13 anos consumiram com maior freqüência milho, mel, açúcar, rapadura enquanto aqueles com idade entre 17 e 19 anos consumiram mais arroz, bolos, biscoitos, rosca, balas, goma de mascar, refrigerantes, frutas verde-amarelo.

This study evaluated nutritional status linked to zinc levels in 239 randomly selected children at crèches in Teresina, Brazil, aged 3 to 6. Blood samples were collected after fasting of 10 h. Erythrocytary zinc levels were determined through flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Zinc deficiency was determined as below 40 microg Zn/g Hb. Infant linear growth was evaluated measuring weight and height, and nutritional status by height/age, weight/height, and weight/age indices, expressed as Z scores, in line with the National Center for Health Statistics. The mean zinc concentration was 35.50 +/- 10.95 microg Zn/g Hb. Zinc distribution in the 10, 50, 75, and 90 percentiles was 24.73 microg Zn/g Hb, 35.45 microg Zn/g Hb, 40.73 microg Zn/g Hb and 52.77 microg Zn/g Hb, respectively. Based on this distribution, normal values were found only from the 75th percentile and above. Since the cutoff point adopted was 40 microg Zn/g Hb, the prevalence of zinc deficiency was 74.3%. As for growth profile, 8.4% were chronically malnourished, although the statistical association between linear impairment and nutritional status regarding zinc was insignificant. The study revealed that an important segment of the infant population was mineral deficient; however, the degree of deficiency did not influence growth profiles.

access to SUS was facilitated by health professionals and the majority were satisfied with the care received.

Introduction: Nutritional conditions and food patterns in preschool children are elements that emphasise the importance of health monitoring in this period of nutritional transition, both to ensure nutritional adequacy and how much to intervene in identifi ed inadequacies. Hence, it may also constitute a strategy for public programs and school health services to make decisions. Objective: To analyse the anthropometric and dietary profi les of pre-schoolers of a pole city in Northeastern Brazil. Methods: This is a cross-sectional evaluative study with 114 children aged 2-5 years, of both genders, in three municipal centres of early childhood education. Anthropometry was used to measure weight and height, and the nutritional condition was assessed using the indexes Height for Age (H/A), Weight for Age (W/A), Weight for Height (W/H) and Body Mass Index for Age (BMI/A) in z-score values with classifi cations established by the World Health Organization. The food intake record was done by direct weighing of the food menu offered during a week in the three institutions. This procedure allowed for the evaluation of the nutritional composition of menus, from the estimates in percentages, average and standard deviations of total calories, macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids) and micronutrients (calcium, iron, vitamins A and C), to the adjustments and comparisons to the reference values of the Recommended Dietary Allowances, National Research Council and the PNAE recommendations, by age stages, in full-time units, 1-3 years, 700 kcal; 4-5 years, 950 kcal (70% coverage prediction of daily nutritional requirements) and the part-time units, these same ranges of age, respectively, 200 and 270 kcal (20% coverage for forecasting nutritional needs daily), considering adequate consumption to that with a variation of up to 10% above or below 100% of these recommendations. Results: Most of the preschool children had adequate nutritional conditions, especially those of full-time units, with relative frequencies (W/A: 94.5%; W/H: 89.5%, BMI/A: 81.7%). There were registered also overweight percentages higher than the defi cits, in the indices W/A (22.2%), P/E (33.3%) to municipal early childhood centre CMEI-A girls; the indices W/A, W/H, BMI/A (23.8% each) in CMEI B-boys. In relation to the adequacy of the food profi le, there was only convergence between the offer and the recommendation of 70% coverage of the daily energy needs, for pre-schoolers of 4-5 years from the centre of full-time units (mean: 951.2 ± 172.3 kcal). As for nutrients, inadequacies had a trend in the coverage of the daily needs on the menu offered in part-time units. Conclusion: Although most children do not present indicative of nutritional risk, requires attention to food portion that was with inadequacies of nutritional condition, with emphasis on weight surplus, while the readjustments in per capita and in portions of the menu implemented in those locations.

Ingestão alimentar de cálcio e vitamina D e associação com o nível de escolaridade na pessoa idosa Dietary intake of calcium and vitamin d and association with educational level in the elderly Resumo Este trabalho objetivou avaliar a ingestão alimentar de cálcio e vitamina D e sua associação com níveis de escolaridade entre idosos residentes no Nordeste do Brasil. O estudo foi realizado com 359 idosos de ambos os sexos. Foram coletadas informações sociodemográficas por meio do preenchimento de um formulário. Para avaliar a ingestão alimentar do cálcio e da vitamina D, utilizou-se um questionário de frequência alimentar semiquantitativo. A média de idade foi de 71,6 (±7,8) anos para os homens e de 70,0 (±7,5) anos para as mulheres. Observou-se predominância de mulheres (61,6%). A pesquisa sobre o grau de escolaridade mostrou que 38,7% dos idosos eram analfabetos; 28,4% não completaram o ensino fundamental e 32,9% tinham escolaridade igual ou superior a oito anos de estudo. A ingestão de vitamina D e cálcio é inadequada na maior parte dos idosos. Níveis mais elevados de escolaridade estão associados ao aumento na ingestão adequada de cálcio e vitamina D.