We measured the effect of marginal malnutrition on physical work capacity of adolescent children of agricultural migrant workers in Southern Brazil. Nutritional status was evaluated using 24-h dietary recall. Body size was evaluated anthropometrically. Biochemical assessments were also made. Physical work capacity (PWC170) was assessed by measuring heart rate, blood lactic acid levels, and oxygen consumption during submaximal bicycle ergometer work. The same tests were also carried out on a comparable group of local well-to-do boys of the same age in the same community who served as controls. The dietary results suggest that adolescent boys of migrant families were marginally malnourished. Their physical growth and development were retarded by at least 1 yr. They had significantly lower reserves of body fat and less muscle mass when compared with controls. Their Hb levels were normal. At the submaximal work loads measured (0, 25, 50, 75 W) the migrant children exhibited similar oxygen consumption and gross exercise efficiency as the control children, but achieved this work at a higher percentage of their maximum work capacity as shown by significantly higher heart rates for the same oxygen consumption. Higher blood lactic acid levels in the migrant children suggest that the available muscle mass was under greater stress to accomplish the same task. PWC170 was reduced one-third in the migrant children (migrant 643 +/- 162 kpm/min, control 905 +/- 345 kpm/min; p less than 0.005). These differences were largely associated with weight (migrant 20.6 +/- 5.9 kpm/min; control 18.8 +/- 4.3 kpm/kg/min; p greater than 0.1). These observations suggest that marginal as well as severe malnutrition affect physical work capacity at levels low enough to affect growth and development.

In our survey of the food habits and nutritional status of "Boia-Fria" agricultural migrant workers in Southern Brazil, a special project was undertaken to assess the influence of socioeconomic and dietary deprivation on the physical growth and development and physical performance of their children. Four hundred fifty-five children in Boia-Fria families from Vila Recreio, a periurban slum of Ribeirao Preto located in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo, were examined for body weight, standing height, mid-upper arm muscle circumference, and head circumference. For comparison, 475 children from "Vita et Pax", a private school attended primarily by children of well-to-do families from the city of Ribeirao Preto, were also examined using similar anthropometric procedures. A small group of selected Boia-Fria children and their well-to-do counterparts were subjected to ergometric-cum-electrocardiographic testing for submaximal physical work performance. The overall results of this comparative study indicate that the physical growth and development and the physical performance of the Boia-Fria children are significantly lower than their well-to-do counterparts. It is suggested that the poor anthropometric and ergometric status of the Boia-Fria children is a reflection of poor dietary habits and socioeconomic deprivation prevalent among the agricultural migrant workers and poor periurban populations of Brazil.

RESUMEN Introducción:Objetivo: Materiales y Métodos:Resultados: Conclusiones:Palabras clave:La desnutrición es un desafío pendiente que influye nocivamente en el desarrollo de los niños/as y de una nación.Evaluar la evolución del estado nutricional de niños/as <5 años ingresados a un programa alimentario durante el año 2012. Estudio longitudinal (cohorte), descriptivo, analítico de beneficiarios del Programa Alimentario Nutricional Integral (PANI) en el 2012.Variables sociodemográficas fueron consideradas, el diagnóstico nutricional según criterios OMS según puntaje zPeso/Edad (zP/E), Índice de Masa Corporal/Edad (zIMC/E), Talla/Edad (zT/E).Fueron procesados datos de 4946 niños/as <5años. Edad media 17,5m (0,03-59 m), 50,3% varones; 51,4% del área rural. Al ingreso, tuvieron media zP/E-1,71±0,7DE, zIMC/Edad -1,31±1,12DE y zT/E -1,34±1,30 DE. El zP/E en controles sucesivos aumentó a -0,36 DE en el 12vo. control, el zIMC/E a 0,26DE,zT/E a -0,91 de manera significativa (ANOVA p<0,0001). 22,6% presentaban Desnutrición Global-DG y 77,4% de riesgo de desnutrir al ingreso, estas prevalencias fueron de 3,4% y 21% respectivamente con 75,6% de niños/as sin desnutrición al último control (2,p<0,0001). 21,9% tuvieron desnutrición por IMC, y 38,5%% de riesgo de desnutrir, estas prevalencias fueron de 3,1% y 10,7% al 12vo. control. Del 26% de Desnutrición Crónica-DC, se pasó a 16% al final de la intervención.La desnutrición infantil disminuye significativamente con el apoyo de un programa alimentario.Estado nutricional, evolución, niños, programa alimentario, Paraguay. ABSTRACTIntroduction: