In order to compare the prevalence of PCM in four localities and to contribute to the nosographic mapping of malnutrition in the State of Pernambuco (Brazil) the nutritional intake of about 1,712 children under 6 years of age, living in Recife (coastal area), Ferreiros (forest area), Brejo da Madre de Deus (arid area), and Afogados da Ingazeira (scrubland), was classified; for this the following methods were used: the Gomez, the Ariza-Macias, and the Seoane-Lathan (modified). According to the Gomez classification and from a statistical point of view, the prevalence of malnutrition was higher in the countryside than in Recife. The weight/height ratio does not clearly show the situation in three of the communities under study. Moreover, the modified Seoane-Lathan method revealed no significant difference in the three types of malnutrition (recent, chronic, and past) between Recife and the other cities, with the exception of Brejo da Madre de Deus.
Nutrition disorders; Protein-calorie malnutrition