OBJECTIVE: To compare the nutritional assessment of children of low socio-economic status in a poor region of Minas Gerais, Brazil, using NCHS and World Health Organization (WHO) growth reference standards. METHODS:Cross-sectional study performed in three cities of the Alto Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data were collected during July, 2000. Comparative analysis was made between NCHS and the new WHO growth charts by Epi-Info 6.04b, Excel and Anthro 2005 programs. RESULTS:A total of 450 children were assessed in the study. The socioeconomic status of the children was low and 85.3% of their family earned less than half of the minimum wage per capita. Using respectively WHO and NCHS growth charts, weight/height deficiency was detected in 4.2 and 2.2% in children up to five months and 2.3 and 3.2% in those with 12 months or more; height/age deficiency was noted in 18.8 and 7.5% of the children up to five months and 2.8 and 7.4% in those with 12 months or more; overweight was shown in 12.5 and 8.6% up to five months of age, 7.4 and 5.1% in children with 12 months or more. CONCLUSIONS:Differences in the detection of nutritional deficits were found. The WHO growth chart is more updated and the data was collected from children in good environment conditions and healthy feeding habits, favoring their normal growth. The WHO chart may be considered more adequate to assess children growth.
nutritional assessment; reference standards; World Health Organization
