Assessment of nutritional status in comparison to neuropsychomotor development in children: A descriptive study

Abstract

Aim: To assess nutritional status by relating it to the neuropsychomotor development of children. Method: This is a descriptive and quantitative study that was developed in an early childhood education center in the north part of the city of São Paulo. The sample consisted of 82 children aged one to four years. The data obtained were analyzed descriptively by calculating the absolute and relative frequencies for the quantitative variables. Results: Most children were male (60.9%), and had white skin color (59%). We observed an incidence of approximately 36% of cases of overweight and a relationship with the participants' psychomotor development, especially in the gross motor area and in terms of balance, where the greatest difficulties were found with regard to such overweight children. Conclusion: The nutritional status affects the neuropsychomotor development in the sample studied. The development of children may be influenced by their nutritional status, and obesity may pose risks in terms of gross motor performance.