Monitoring of nutritional status of users from Basic Health Units in the State of São Paulo by means of the Food and Nutritional Surveillance System (SISVAN)

Abstract

 The Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN), created and implanted by the General Nutrition Coordination (CGAN/MS), according to the guidelines of the National Nutrition Policy (PNAN), allows the performance of diagnosis and follow up of the nutritional situation of the Brazilian population, contributing to the knowledge of the nature and the dimension of nutritional problems, and contributes, as well, for the identification of the geographical areas, social segments and population groups in higher risk for nutritional hazards. This study is designed to verify the nutritional status of the clientele registered in Basic Health Unities, per Regional Health Department (DRS) of the State of São Paulo, employing the SISVAN. The survey comprises data from 2010, and the number of registers in relation to the total of the population, for that year, was 3%. The DRS of the State of São Paulo with the higher number of registered people was DRS12 – Registro, and the one with the lowest number was DRS1- Metropolitan Region of Greater São Paulo. The proportion of seriously underweight children varied in circa 1%, nevertheless the amount of children with higher weight varied, in percentage, around 6,7 and 10,1% with an average of 8,7% (DP +1,9). From the total of registered adolescents, in average, 2,8% presented thinness/pronounced thinness; 72,9% were euthropic, but the percentage of overweight adolescents reached 24,3%. Among the adults registered at the SISVAN, 3,2% were underweight, 39,8% were euthropic and 57% were overweight; among the latter,, 31,3% were overweight and 26,1% (DP +1,63) were obese. Among the elderly, only 34,2% were euthropic, 10,9% were underweight and 55,9% (DP +4,80) were overweight. Despite the low rates of register at SIVAN, these results comply to other Brazilian studies, showing a concerning situation regarding nutritional status: the high proportion of overweight people in all age brackets. The SIVAN is an important tool to subsidize the strategies designed for promotion and prevention in health in the different managerial levels. A better use of this tool will support the resolution of actions designed to avoid the worsening of morbid situations that will demand more complex actions.