OBJECTIVE: To study the physical growth and the nutritional status of children and adolescents from the region of Cotinguiba, Sergipe, in Northeast Brazil. METHODS: This cross-sectional study enrolled 1,257 schoolchildren aged seven to 14 years old. Body weight and height were measured in all studied population. Nutritional status was defined by the International Obesity Task Force recommendations, according to body mass index (BMI), by age and sex. Malnutrition was classified as a BMI between 16 and 18.5kg/m² and overweight as a BMI greater than or equal to 25kg/m². RESULTS: An apparent peak of height growth was observed in girls with 11 years old and in boys with 12 years old. Peak weight gain was noted at 11 years for both genders. At all ages and in both genders, the body weight and the height of the studied children and adolescents were below National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) values, with the exception of girls who were nine years old. The overall prevalence of malnutrition was 21.7% (18.5% for boys and 24.6% for girls) and the prevalence of overweight was 6.8% (5.1% for boys and 8.4% for girls), with significant differences between genders. CONCLUSIONS: The growth of children and adolescents in the region of Cotinguiba (Northeast Brazil) does not fit in the NCHS reference curves. The high prevalence of malnutrition indicates the need for further studies regarding the growth of this population and the need for implementing intervention strategies to reduce the problem. Malnutrition is still a public health problem in this region.
anthropometry; growth; nutritional status; body mass index
