Estado nutricional e fatores associados em crianças e adolescentes com fibrose cística atendidos ambulatorialmente em um serviço de referência de Alagoas

Abstract

Cystic fibrosis is an autosomal recessive genetic disease, in which there is a dysfunction in the CFTR gene, which causes changes in the chlorine regulatory mechanism. Affected individuals may present negative energy balance related to lower food intake and poor absorption, a factor that influences nutritional status. Therefore, knowing the associated factors can help with nutritional monitoring and monitoring, resulting in a reduction in morbidity and mortality. This study aims to evaluate the nutritional status and its associated factors in children with cystic fibrosis. It has an observational and cross-sectional design, carried out from June 2023 to February 2024. The sample is non-probabilistic and consists of children diagnosed with cystic fibrosis treated at the Hospital Universitário Alberto Antunes. Clinical, anthropometric, dietary, biochemical and socioeconomic variables were evaluated. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel software. Statistical analyzes were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 13.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). The associations were tested using the Fisher's Exact or Mann-Whitney test, with a value of p<0.05 being considered to verify statistical significance. The sample consisted of 24 children, representing 57.14% of the total number of patients diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in the state, aged between 2 months and 18 years. The majority were eutrophic (76.2%; n=16). It was found that children using vitamin D supplementation had higher W/A scores (p=0.013). It was also found that patients diagnosed later had lower BMI/A scores (p=0.046). Finally, it was found that children who were exclusively breastfed for longer had higher H/A scores (p=0.014). Socioeconomic and perinatal factors did not show statistical significance. Therefore, it is essential to recognize the mechanisms by which the nutritional status undergoes such changes, causing a worsening in the quality of life and prognosis of the disease.