ESTADO NUTRICIONAL DE CRIANÇAS INDIGENAS MENORES DE 5 ANOS, DO DISTRITO SANITÁRIO ESPECIAL INDÍGENA, MARANHÃO, BRASIL

Abstract

Nutritional status is recognized as a relevant health indicator. Its assessment is an essential step in studies involving children, as it allows monitoring their nutritional conditions and identifying possible deviations in growth and development from the expected pattern, whether due to illnesses or unfavorable social conditions. Indigenous health in Brazil is ensured through the Indigenous Health Care Subsystem (SASI-SUS), integrated into the Unified Health System (SUS) and operated by the Special Indigenous Health Districts (DSEIs), such as the DSEI Maranhão, which is responsible for the care of the Guajajara people. In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the nutritional status of Guajajara indigenous children under five years of age assisted at health centers of the DSEI Maranhão, between 2021 and 2023. This is a crosssectional, descriptive, observational, retrospective, and quantitative study, based on data from the Indigenous Health Care Information System (SIASI). The sample included 13,967 children aged 0 to 59 months, evaluated using weight-for-age and height-for-age indicators according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards. Analyses were conducted in Stata 14.0 softwares, employing descriptive statistics, association tests, and Poisson regression to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results showed a prevalence of stunting of 37% and underweight of 8.3%, in addition to overweight in 2.6% of the children. Significant differences were observed by sex, health center, and year of attendance, highlighting intraethnic and temporal inequalities. It is concluded that monitoring the nutritional status of Guajajara children is essential to support intercultural public policies, strengthen the SASISUS, and promote indigenous food sovereignty.