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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2009 Apr 21.
Published in final edited form as: Rev Saude Publica. 2008 Dec;42(Suppl 2):60–69. doi: 10.1590/s0034-89102008000900009

Table 1.

Prevalence of underweight (BMI<18.5 kg/m2) according to demographic and socioeconomic variables, birthweight, and breastfeeding. Pelotas, Southern Brazil, 1982 to 2004-5

Variable Total Men Women
n % n % n %
Skin color p = 0.09* p = 0.72* p = 0.16*
  White 3170 6.4 1653 5.0 1517 7.9
  Black or Mixed 882 5.7 469 4.7 413 6.8
Family income -1982 (MW) p = 0.33** p = 0.09** p = 0.92**
  ≤1 826 6.1 438 4.6 388 7.7
  1.1 - 3 2079 6.6 1092 5.9 987 7.4
  3.1 - 6 788 5.6 415 3.9 373 7.5
  6.1 - 10 244 5.3 128 3.9 116 6.9
  >10 240 5.0 123 1.6 117 8.5
Change in income (1982 → 2004-5) p = 0.45** p = 0.05* p = 0.61**
  Always poor 682 6.6 334 4.5 348 8.6
  Non poor → poor 697 7.0 340 2.8 357 7.3
  Poor → non poor 649 4.8 360 7.4 289 6.7
  Never poor 2170 6.1 1172 4.9 998 7.5
Birthweight (grams) p <0.001** p <0.001** p <0.001**
  <2500 295 10.8 135 8.1 160 13.1
  2500 - 2999 994 8.1 450 6.9 544 9.2
  3000 - 3499 1588 6.4 846 4.8 742 8.1
  3500 - 3999 1081 3.5 610 3.6 471 3.4
  ≥4000 239 2.1 165 1.2 74 4.1
Breastfeeding (months) p = 0.04** p = 0.42** p = 0.03**
  <1.0 885 7.3 482 5.2 403 9.9
  1.0 - 2.9 1049 5.9 542 4.6 507 7.3
  3.0 - 5.9 934 6.5 484 5.6 450 7.6
  6.0 - 8.9 380 6.8 201 6.0 179 7.8
  9.0 - 11.9 157 5.1 83 2.4 74 8.1
  ≥12.0 661 4.4 335 3.9 326 4.9
Youth’s schooling (years) p = 0.51** p = 0.30** p = 0.53**
  0 - 4 337 7.7 206 6.3 131 9.9
  5 - 8 1172 6.0 716 4.7 456 7.9
  9 - 11 2028 5.9 1010 5.0 1018 6.9
  ≥12 661 6.2 274 3.6 387 8.0
Total 4198 6.0 2206 4.9 1992*** 7.5

MW: Minimum wages

*

Chi-square test for heterogeneity

**

Chi-square test for linear trend

***

Excluding 90 women with 3 or more months of pregnancy