Thaynã Ramos Flores, Associate Editor of Revista Epidemiologia e Serviços de Saúde: Revista do Sistema Único de Saúde do Brasil, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
Information held on the National Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (Sistema Nacional de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional – SISVAN), which monitors the eating patterns and nutritional status of users of the Brazilian National Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde), enables analysis of the relationship between social inequality indicators and the nutritional status of this population.
Data from the article entitled Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN), nutritional status of older adults and its relationship with social inequalities in Brazil, 2008-2019: an ecological time-series study, by Barbosa et al. (2023), published recently in Epidemiology and Health Services: journal of the Brazilian National Health System (Epidemiologia e Serviços de Saúde: revista do Sistema Único de Saúde do Brasil – RESS, vol. 32, no.1), provide evidence that although it is still low, the national coverage of the SISVAN has evolved with a statistically significant upward trend – from 0.1%, in 2008, to 2.9%, in 2019 – in this population and within the study period.
Moreover, association was found between increased overweight and social inequality in Brazil. Among the underprivileged population, there was an increase in underweight and overweight among elderly people within the period analyzed and in comparison with the country’s Federative Units with higher Human Development Indices (HDI) and higher Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita.
As for the nutritional status of this population, overweight increased by 8.3%, with 1.8% annual change in the period. The growing trend in the prevalence of overweight and the reduction in the occurrence of underweight and adequate weight in all Brazilian regions suggests the occurrence of a nutritional transition process in the elderly population.
The increasing trend in SISVAN coverage among elderly users, found during the first 12 years of SISVAN, suggests that its use is in the process of being adapted and that data production is still insufficient to support the formulation of and adjustments to public policies on disease prevention and health promotion and maintenance for this population. SISVAN actions need to be incorporated as a routine in primary care services as a means of boosting the system’s coverage.
References
BRASIL. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Manual operacional para uso do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional. SISVAN Versão 3.0. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde, 2017 [viewed 27 April 2023]. Available from: http://sisaps.saude.gov.br/sisvan/public/file/ManualDoSisvan.pdf
BRASIL. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Política Nacional de Alimentação e Nutrição. Brasília : Ministério da Saúde, 2013 [viewed 27 April 2023]. Available from: http://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/politica_nacional_alimentacao_nutricao.pdf
MARTINS, A.P.B., et al. Transferência de renda no Brasil e desfechos nutricionais: revisão sistemática. Rev Saude Publica [online]. 2013, vol. 47, no. 6, pp. 1159-1171 [viewed 27 April 2023]. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-8910.2013047004557. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/rsp/a/vQMctkdQGj38VN9CNmBZQJJ/
PEREIRA, I.F.S., SPYRIDES, M.H.C., ANDRADE, L.M.B. Estado nutricional de idosos no Brasil: uma abordagem multinível. Cad Saude Publica [online]. 2016, vol. 32, no. 5, e00178814 [viewed 27 April 2023]. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311X00178814. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/csp/a/J9BfcW8NqRMXJkgg3dPvhmh/
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BARBOSA, B.B., et al. Cobertura do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional (SISVAN), estado nutricional de idosos e sua relação com desigualdades sociais no Brasil, 2008-2019: estudo ecológico de série temporal. Epidemiol. Serv. Saúde [online]. 2023, vol. 32, no. 1, e2022595 [viewed 27 April 2023]. https://doi.org/10.1590/S2237-96222023000100003. Available from: https://www.scielo.br/j/ress/a/Zy3jgR9tsb36rhDXnDQdStg/?lang=pt
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Universidade Estadual do Ceará (UECE) Nutrition and Health Postgraduate Program: https://www.uece.br/ppgns/