Comparison of the nutritional status in children aged 5 to 10 years old on the Conditional Cash Transfer Programme in the States of Acre and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Introduction: In recent years, there has been a reduction in cases of malnutrition in Brazil but this has been accompanied with an increase in the overweight and obesity rates. These changes, together with others, such as changes in eating patterns and lifestyle, characterise the process of nutritional transition. Objective: We aimed to compare the prevalence of nutritional status of beneficiary children of the Bolsa Família Program (PBF) in the states of Acre and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and to analyse the changes in the anthropometric profile of these children during 5 years. Methods: This is an ecological study using secondary data from the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN) and Bolsa Família Department of SUS (DATASUS), which assessed the nutritional status of children over 5 years and under 10 years benefiting from the PBF in the years 2011 to 2015 in the states of Acre and Rio Grande do Sul. The sample consisted of 94,865 children from Acre and 342,462 children from Rio Grande do Sul. The Body Mass Index was used to classify the nutritional status. Results: The mean prevalence of eutrophic children aged 5 to 10 years in Acre was 70.42% and was 61.28% in Rio Grande do Sul. Overweight was 13.06% in Acre and 19.48% in Rio Grande do Sul. Obesity was 5.08% in Acre and 9.36% in Rio Grande do Sul. Severe obesity was 4.02% in Acre and 6.92% in Rio Grande do Sul. Conclusion: Overweight and obesity in children benefiting from the PBF has been growing in the last 5 years, notably in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. This is possibly due to the fact that the nutritional transition is at a more advanced stage here than in Acre State.