American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Volume 34, Issue 9, 1981, Pages 1925-1934

Anthropometric and cycloergometric assessment of the nutritional status of the children of agricultural migrant workers in Southern Brazil (Article)

Desai I.D. , Garcia Tavares M.L. , Dutra De Oliveira B.S. , Romero L.S. , Vichi F.L. , Duarte F.A.
  • a Div. Hum. Nutrit., Univ. British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1W5, Canada
  • b Div. Hum. Nutrit., Univ. British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1W5, Canada
  • c Div. Hum. Nutrit., Univ. British Columbia, Vancouver V6T 1W5, Canada
  • d [Affiliation not available]
  • e [Affiliation not available]
  • f [Affiliation not available]

Abstract

In our survey of the food habits and nutritional status of 'Boia-Fria' argicultural 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.

Author Keywords

[No Keywords available]

Index Keywords

Slum Heart Function Tests Vila Exertion economic aspect geographic distribution normal value Cross-Sectional Studies school child Humans Adolescent male preschool child female growth Infant Child, Preschool socioeconomics bicycle ergometry diagnosis migration Food Habits Nutrition Surveys malnutrition Brazil anthropometry Transients and Migrants nutritional status Child Nutrition Physiology Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0019857773&partnerID=40&md5=852a4d85635974f7fdcc91d52f578fbb
ISSN: 00029165
Cited by: 15
Original Language: English