This ecological study analyzed the temporal trend of special dietary needs in children aged 2 to 12 enrolled in the public school system of Belo Horizonte (MG) between 2014 and 2023. Secondary data from medical reports filed at schools, provided by the Municipal Department of Food and Nutritional Security, were used. Variables included year, gender, age, school location and type of dietary restriction. The analysis used descriptive statistics and Prais-Winsten regression. Among the 1967 children, 12.6% had some special dietary need, especially lactose intolerance (39.8%), cows' milk protein allergy (12.6%) and egg allergy (4.2%). From 2021 onwards, there was a significant increase, with 421 cases of intolerance in 2023. The annual increase rates were: 6.69% (intolerance), 5.51% (allergies) and 5.74% (selectivity). Around 43.4% of the reports did not specify the restriction. The high level of adherence to school meals (54.6%) highlights the role of the PNAE in food safety. The findings reinforce the need for intersectoral strategies to ensure inclusive and safe food in the school environment.
This study sought to examine differences between federal and state high schools and their students regarding the provision of meals and food, sociodemographic variables, and student nutrition. Data from the 2023 School Census and the 2019 National School Health Survey (PeNSE) were used. The variables of interest were the physical and functional data of the schools, presence and consumption of food offered by the cafeteria, consumption of school meals and food, and dietary routine. Regarding their structure, state schools had more kitchens, pantries, and food preparation professionals. There was an indication of a lack of school meals in federal schools over 60%, while only 6.16% in state schools. Differences were found in the regular consumption of school meals, the presence and consumption of food in the cafeteria, and their relationship with students' food consumption. The federal sphere had a lower prevalence of school meals and a higher number of cafeterias, which seems to influence students' food consumption. The results indicate that there are differences between spheres that are reflected in the supply and consumption of school meals by students.
This article aims to evaluate the association between skipping and replacing meals with excess weight in adolescents. Cross-sectional study among 382 students from public schools in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, collecting sociodemographic data and dietary habits, focusing on skipping (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and replacing meals with snacks. The Chi-square test assessed Body Mass Index for Age (overweight > +1 z-score), and logistic regression analyzed associations between meal skipping, replacing meals, and excess weight. Girls who skipped breakfast had a higher excess weight frequency (50% vs 31.6%, p=0.025), while boys with excess weight skipped lunch (13.8% vs 4.8%, p=0.027) and dinner (15.5% vs 5.5%, p=0.020) more frequently. Boys skipping dinner were 3.13 times more likely to have excess weight (95%CI: 1.06-9.21), and girls skipping breakfast were 2.20 times more likely (95%CI: 1.10-4.41). No association was found between replacing meals and excess weight. Skipping dinner and breakfast increased the chances of excess weight in male and female adolescents, respectively.
The present study analyzed the evolution of hospitalizations for ambulatory care-sensitive conditions (ACSC) in Brazil from 2000 to 2022, highlighting national trends and the impact COVID-19 through an ecological and longiThis study analyzed ACSC rates and their proportion of total hospitalizations, considering an estimated population, regional and state distribution, and age ranges. A total of 56,308,152 ACSCs were recorded during the period, corresponding to 20.8% of all hospitalizations in the country. A decrease was found in ACSC rates per 10,000 inhabitants and in the proportion of total hospitalizations, with stagnation observed between 2015-2019. Most states and regions saw a decline, with the largest decreases found in the North, Northeast, and Midwest regions. Regarding age ranges, a decrease in ACSC was observed during the period, with an increase during the pandemic among children under 5 years of age and older adults, along with changes in cause patterns. During the pandemic, rates decreased between 2020-2021, only to rise again in 2022. The importance of policies ensuring comprehensive and continuous access to the Family Health Strategy (FHS) in Brazil is highlighted, especially for vulnerable groups, as is the need for continuous investments.
The aim is to analyze the structure of dental radiology services (DRS) in the Brazilian Centers of Dental Specialties (acronym in Portuguese, CEO) to identify advances and challenges. This is an ecological study using data from the external evaluation cycles (c) of the Program for Improvement of Access and Quality-CEO (c1-2014 and c2-2018). Latent class transition analysis identified latent statuses (LS) for DRS structure in CEO, with 889 CEO included. The latent transition model (3 LS) was used: (LS1) better structure for DRS (n + 377); (LS2) intermediate structure for DRS (n = 379) and (LS3) worse structure for DRS (n = 133). Latent transition analysis showed that no CEO with a "better structure" worsened between 2014 and 2018; 4.3% of CEO with intermediate structure and 16.6% of the worst transitioned to the better status, while 66.3% of CEO transitioned from the "worst" status to "intermediate" structure, demonstrating a trend of improvement. It is concluded that there was an improvement in the structure of dental radiology in Brazilian CEO, except for specialized professionals, indicating the need for restructuring the human resources policy in the Brazilian public health system-SUS.
