Malnutrition in Brazilian indigenous children aged 0 to 5 years of age: a review

Abstract

Brazil has a great diversity of indigenous peoples, where many live in precarious conditions, which soon affects their health conditions, especially their nutritional status. This study aimed to reviewing the existing literature on the presence of malnutrition in Brazilian indigenous children from 0 to 5 years of age. We searched the electronic databases MEDLINE and LILACS, as well as official texts and surveys, based on an integral reading of texts that focused on the nutritional status of Brazilian indigenous children. There were 14 articles on the subject, most describing the situation of one or at most two indigenous people of a certain locality. Most studies have found high rates of malnutrition in indigenous children. Mainly, when compared with the general population, a higher prevalence of short stature than weight deficit. Even if we know the importance of this, the nutritional situation of Brazilian natives is described in a few studies, most of which are limited to studying a single community at a time. There is a lack of studies that can integrate the existing data and combine them to aid in a more accurate description of the whole situation.