This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the nutritional status and dietary intake of HIV-infected children and adolescents and the relationship between nutritional status and dietary intake and CD4(+) T-cell count and viral load. The sample was composed of 49 subjects aged 7-17 years and living in Florianópolis, Brazil. Nutritional status was assessed by height-for-age and body mass index-for-age. Dietary intake was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Spearman correlations and multiple linear regressions were used to determine the relationship between energy, nutrient intake and body mass index-for-age and CD4(+) T-cell count and viral load. The mean body mass index-for-age and height-for-age values were -0.26 ± 0.86 and -0.56 ± 0.92, respectively. The energy intake was 50.8% above the estimated energy requirement and inadequate intake of polyunsaturated fat, cholesterol, fibre, calcium and vitamin C was present in 100%, 57.1%, 40.8%, 61.2% and 26.5% of the sample, respectively. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that energy intake was correlated with CD4+ T-cell count (r = 0.33; p = 0.028) and viral load (r = -0.35; p = 0.019). These data showed low body mass index-for-age and height-for-age z-scores, high energy intake and inadequate intake of important nutrients for immune function, growth and control of chronic diseases. A lower energy intake was correlated with viral suppression and immune preservation.

The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence, correlation, and association of undernutrition and obesity with high blood pressure (HBP). One thousand five hundred seventy (1570) students (808 boys and 762 girls), aged 7-12 years, from João Pessoa, Paraíba (Northeastern Brazil) participated. Measurements of stature, body weight, skinfolds [triceps (TS) and subscapular (SS)], upper-arm circumference (UAC), upper-arm fat area (UAFE), total upper-arm area (TUAA), and BP were taken. Four criteria were adopted to classify undernutrition and obesity. HBP was defined as systolic BP (SBP) and/or diastolic BP (DBP) values >or=90th percentile. Analysis of covariance, Spearman's correlation, logistic regression, and multiple linear regression were used. In the logistic regression model, undernutrition was not associated with HBP; however, the chances of HBP increased when two or more obesity indicators were present [boys: odds ratio (OR) = 2.08, 95% confidence interval (CI 95%) = 1.26-3.41; girls: OR = 2.26, CI 95% = 1.44-3.55]. In the multiple regression, the BMI, SS, and UAFE explained 15% of the variance of high SBP (r (2) = 0.153) in boys, whereas the body mass index (BMI) and TUAA accounted for 16% of the variance of the SBP (r (2) = 0.166) in girls. The DBP was influenced by the SS in boys (r (2) = 0.022) and the TUAA (r ( 2 ) = 0.054) in girls. There was an association between obesity and HBP. The BMI, SS, and UAFE in boys and the BMI and TUAA in girls explained approximately 16% of elevated SBP.