Malnutrition in all its forms and social inequalities in Brazil

Abstract

Objective:To describe malnutrition (undernutrition and excess weight) by income, education and race/ethnicity in the Brazilian population.Design:Cross-sectional study.Setting:Brazil.Participants:Children aged <5 years (n 14 580), adolescents aged 11–19 years (n 31 892) and adults aged 20–49 years (n 84 660).Results:Among children, prevalence of excess weight, wasting and stunting was 16·9, 2·8 and 6·0 %, respectively. Differences related to income, education and race/ethnicity were verified, except for prevalence of wasting by education level. Girls and boys presented 18·4 and 20·5 % of excess weight, 2·8 and 3·7 % of underweight and 5·5 and 7·3 % of stunting, respectively. Prevalence of excess weight was lower among poorer, lower-educated (only for boys) and white adolescents, while stunting was lower among higher-income, higher-educated and white adolescents. Over three-quarters of women and almost half of men presented excess weight. Among adults, 3·9 % of women and 1·7 % of men were underweight, and 5·7 % of women and 0·2 % of men presented short stature. Prevalence of excess weight for women was higher among lower education and black, while for men it was higher among higher income and education and white. Short stature was more prevalent among black and mixed-race, low-educated and low-income women. Underweight prevalence was higher among low-educated, black and mixed-race women.Conclusions:In Brazil, the prevalence of excess weight was at least threefold higher than that of undernutrition for children and adolescents and at least sevenfold higher for adults. Social inequalities were observed in the distribution of malnutrition across the lifespan and by gender.

Weight Gain and Change in Body Mass Index after Age 20 in the Brazilian Population and Associated Sociodemographic Factors: Data from the National Health Survey

“…The association of nutritional status with education and income was found in a study exploring social inequity and malnutrition in all its forms (undernutrition and obesity) in the Brazilian population. Income and education exhibited similar associations to those found in the present study for men and women [29].…”

“…The results in the present study failed to find any association between race/skin color and weight gain, which could be due to a lack of precision in the estimative, considering the small sample of some groups. However, in Brazil, the prevalence of obesity is known to be greater among black women than white women [ 29 ]. The higher prevalence of NCDs among black and mixed-race people indicates that risk factors must be distributed differently according to race/skin color and sex [ 30 ].…”

Double Burden of Malnutrition and Inequalities in the Nutritional Status of Adults: A Population-Based Study in Brazil, 2019

“…On the other hand, the prevalence of underweight is higher in Brazilian elderly (19.9% in men and 18.2% in women in 2009) [ 15 ], which can be caused by the progressive loss of muscle mass inherent to the aging process [ 16 ]. Social inequality, lower level of education and lower income are three of the most important factors associated with underweight in all age groups [ 17 ].…”

“…It is known that characteristics such as geographic location, age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and educational level can increase the risk of nutritional disorders like underweight or excess weight [ 18 ]. Important studies support this assumption, with evidence that education, income and place of residence are related to both underweight and excess weight in adult populations [ 17 , 19 ].…”

Use Database to Evaluate the Prevalence of Hunger Among Adolescents in Brazil

“…In addition, Black and mixed-race individuals are more likely to have low-income status. In contrast, higher-income White men with higher levels of education are more likely to be overweight and obese ( 34 ). These data reinforce the need for public policies to promote social equality.…”