RESUMO
We measured the effect of marginal malnutrition on physical work capacity of adolescent children of agricultural migrant workers in Southern Brazil. Nutritional status was evaluated using 24-h dietary recall. Body size was evaluated anthropometrically. Biochemical assessments were also made. Physical work capacity (PWC170) was assessed by measuring heart rate, blood lactic acid levels, and oxygen consumption during submaximal bicycle ergometer work. The same tests were also carried out on a comparable group of local well-to-do boys of the same age in the same community who served as controls. The dietary results suggest that adolescent boys of migrant families were marginally malnourished. Their physical growth and development were retarded by at least 1 yr. They had significantly lower reserves of body fat and less muscle mass when compared with controls. Their Hb levels were normal. At the submaximal work loads measured (0, 25, 50, 75 W) the migrant children exhibited similar oxygen consumption and gross exercise efficiency as the control children, but achieved this work at a higher percentage of their maximum work capacity as shown by significantly higher heart rates for the same oxygen consumption. Higher blood lactic acid levels in the migrant children suggest that the available muscle mass was under greater stress to accomplish the same task. PWC170 was reduced one-third in the migrant children (migrant 643 +/- 162 kpm/min, control 905 +/- 345 kpm/min; p less than 0.005). These differences were largely associated with weight (migrant 20.6 +/- 5.9 kpm/min; control 18.8 +/- 4.3 kpm/kg/min; p greater than 0.1). These observations suggest that marginal as well as severe malnutrition affect physical work capacity at levels low enough to affect growth and development.
Assuntos
Deficiências Nutricionais/metabolismo , Avaliação da Deficiência , Migrantes , Avaliação da Capacidade de Trabalho , Antropometria , Brasil , Criança , Deficiências Nutricionais/sangue , Dieta , Metabolismo Energético , Frequência Cardíaca , Humanos , Lactatos/sangue , Ácido Láctico , Masculino , Rememoração Mental , Consumo de Oxigênio , Esforço FísicoRESUMO
Quarenta e um trabalhadores migrantes (regiao de Ribeirao Preto - SP) foram submetidos a exame fisico, dosagens bioquimicas e hematimetricas. Responderam a rigoroso inquerito alimentar que evidenciou ingestao calorica subnormal. Utilizando prova cicloergometrica, determinou-se a capacidade fisica. A comparacao dos resultados com outros grupos profissionais demonstrou que os trabalhadores migrantes tem desempenho fisico muito baixo. Durante 3 meses consecutivos, foi formecida uma refeicao balanceada, quente e normocalorica (media de 1388 cal), ingerida no local do trabalho, no periodo do almoco. Ao final desta fase, novos exames antropometrico, bioquimico e cicloergometrico foram realizados em 14 trabalhadores. Estes ganharam peso e apresentaram aumento dos periometros braquial e cefalico. Os resultados ergometricos igualmente evidenciaram melhora na capacidade fisica do grupo. Cinco trabalhadores, sem suplementacao serviram para controle. Concluiu-se que estes trabalhadores migrantes sao fisicamente limitados, mas quando recebem alimentacao adequada, em condicoes nutritivas normais, aumentam seu desempenho na producao de trabalho
Assuntos
Humanos , Masculino , Adulto , Alimentos Fortificados , Aptidão Física , Teste de EsforçoRESUMO
In our survey of the food habits and nutritional status of "Boia-Fria" agricultural migrant workers in Southern Brazil, a special project was undertaken to assess the influence of socioeconomic and dietary deprivation on the physical growth and development and physical performance of their children. Four hundred fifty-five children in Boia-Fria families from Vila Recreio, a periurban slum of Ribeirao Preto located in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo, were examined for body weight, standing height, mid-upper arm muscle circumference, and head circumference. For comparison, 475 children from "Vita et Pax", a private school attended primarily by children of well-to-do families from the city of Ribeirao Preto, were also examined using similar anthropometric procedures. A small group of selected Boia-Fria children and their well-to-do counterparts were subjected to ergometric-cum-electrocardiographic testing for submaximal physical work performance. The overall results of this comparative study indicate that the physical growth and development and the physical performance of the Boia-Fria children are significantly lower than their well-to-do counterparts. It is suggested that the poor anthropometric and ergometric status of the Boia-Fria children is a reflection of poor dietary habits and socioeconomic deprivation prevalent among the agricultural migrant workers and poor periurban populations of Brazil.