Pobreza antropométrica no Brasil

Abstract

This paper analyzes the nutritional status of Brazilian children under five years old. First, the anthropometric poverty indicators are constructed and tested whether the changes between 1996 and 2006 were statistically significant. The data used are from the National Research of Demographics and Health (NRDH). For the period under review, there are significant reductions in poverty anthropometric and, in particular, indicators of chronic malnutrition. Multilevel and linear regression models and linear are estimated to analyze the determinants of nutritional status of children. The results show that: i) mother's education positively affects the nutritional status of children with a greater impact in the short term; ii) per capita household income has a positive and significant only for children over 24 months; iii) there´s a positive impact of the mother s height on the weight-for-age and height-for-age indicators; iv) children living in the North tend to have lower nutritional status; v) the realization of prenatal has the positive effect on indicators of nutrition for children under 24 months.