Introdução: The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in 2020, caused instability across various sectors globally, particularly impacting families in situations of social vulnerability, with an increase in food insecurity. This scenario resulted in two main consequences: the worsening of malnutrition, reflected by the rise in underweight prevalence, and a significant increase in obesity. Objetictive: In this context, the present study aimed to describe the impacts of the pandemic on the nutritional profile of families benefiting from federal assistance programs in Brazil, comparing the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. Methods: This is an ecological study based on the analysis of secondary data from the Food and Nutritional Surveillance System (SISVAN), involving children and adolescents up to 20 years of age. Results: Data from 46 million children and 17 million adolescents were analyzed, revealing significant changes during the pandemic period. Among children, there was a reduction in the rates of underweight (22.6%), overweight (37%), and obesity (20.3%) across all regions, although an increase in underweight was observed in the Southeast (25%) and Center-West (22%), as well as a rise in obesity, particularly in the Center-West (12%) and Southeast (8%). The Northeast region presented the highest values for these indicators. Among adolescents, there were notable reductions in underweight (40.1%), overweight (38.7%), and obesity (28.9%), with emphasis on the Northeast region, which, despite the declines, still maintained the highest numbers. Conclusion: Therefore, it is concluded that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the nutritional profile of vulnerable children and adolescents in Brazil, with a notable increase in obesity, especially in the Northeast.
Ribeiro et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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