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Objective: to investigate the physical growth of Xavante children aged 5-10 years and living at the Sangradouro and sao Marcos reservations, state of Mato Grosso, central Brazil. Methods: a cross-sectional survey was carried out in February 1997 in two native Brazilian Indian schools. Our sample included 233 children. The following data were collected: birth date, sex, weight, height, arm-muscle circumference, and triceps skinfold thickness. Data on height and weight were compared to National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) growth charts following the recommendation of the World Health Organization. Results: our results show that 9% of our population sample had height-for-age Z scores

To perform a comparative analysis of anthropometric data from Suruí, Xavánte and Wari' indigenous children under 60 months of age using the NCHS/1977 and the WHO/2005 growth curves.Anthropometric measurements followed standard procedures and the data obtained were converted into z scores using the Epi-Info (Version 3.4) and WHO-Anthro (Version Beta) softwares. The indices height/age (H/A), weight/age (W/A) and weight/height (W/H) were descriptors of nutritional status for all children under 60 months of age, as well as the body mass index (BMI) for children 24-59 months old.The frequencies of Suruí children-2 z scores for H/A were 31.4 (NCHS/1977) and 38.6% (WHO/2005); Xavánte 30.9 and 42.3%; Wari' 61.7 and 68.3%. The frequencies of Suruí children-2 z scores for W/A were 12.4 (NCHS/1977) and 8.5% (WHO/2005); Xavánte 16.5 and 11.6%; Wari' 51.7 and 45.0%. None of the Suruí children were-2 z scores for W/H (NCHS/1977 and WHO/2005); the frequencies of Xavánte children were 1.7 and 3.3% and Wari' 1.7 and 0.0%. The frequencies of Suruí children2 z scores for W/H were 3.9 (NCHS/1977) and 3.9% (WHO/2005); Xavánte 0.0 and 0.8%; Wari' 0.0 and 0.0%. The frequency of Suruí children aged 24-59 months2 z scores for BMI was 5.4% (WHO/2005); Xavánte 9.5%; and Wari' 0.0%.Our findings revealed important differences in the results from nutritional assessment, according to the set of growth curves used; however, the use of both growth curves revealed a high prevalence of malnutrition. Therefore, future studies with indigenous populations should present their results using two sets of growth curves to allow consistent comparison.

Objetivo:Investigar o perfil de crescimento fisico de criancas xavantes de 5 a 10 anos de idade, que vivem nas Terras Indigenas Sangradouro-Volta Grande e Sao Marcos (Mato Grosso). Metodos: O inquerito foi realizado em fevereiro de 1997 em duas escolas indigenas administradas por missionarios salesianos. A amostra incluiu 233 criancas entre 5 e 10 anos incompletos. Foram coletados dados referentes a data de nascimento, peso, estatura, perimetro paquial e dopa cutânea tricipital. Para estatura e peso, as informacoes xavantes foram comparadas com as curvas do National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), preconizadas pela Organizacao Mundial da Saude. Resultados: Os resultados demonstram que 9% das criancas xavantes apresentam valores de estatura/idade inferiores a -2 escores z. No caso dos meninos, ha diferencas estatisticamente significantes (p < 0,05) nas medias de escores z para os indices estatura/idade e peso/idade entre as duas comunidades investigadas, o que nao foi observado para as meninas. As criancas xavantes apresentam valores medios de estatura inferiores aos observados em criancas norteamericanas, contudo por vezes proximos as medianas das criancas pasileiras investigadas pela Pesquisa Nacional sope Saude e Nutricao (PNSN). Conclusoes: O perfil de crescimento fisico das criancas xavantes distancia-se, em certos aspectos, daquele comumente descrito para criancas de outras populacoes indigenas da America do Sul. Com base nas evidencias encontradas, parece-nos adequado sugerir que as curvas de referencia norte-americanas podem ser aplicadas para avaliar o estado nutricional das criancas xavantes