[Family income and child malnutrition in the coast of Camaçari, Brazil].

A study on malnutrition prevalence was carried out in a sample of 388 children, aged 0 to 5 years, living in the coast of Camaçari County, State of Bahia, Brazil. Prevalence of malnutrition indicated by low weight-for-age, degrees I, II and III--according to Gómez' criteria--was 62.1%. According to the criteria proposed by Waterlow, prevalence of malnutrition was 64.9%, 26.5% of stunted children, 20.7% of wasted, and 17.7% of stunted plus wasted children. The relationship between income and malnutrition became statistically significant when the per capita family income index was used, instead of the total family income index. Concerning the nature of malnutrition, it was observed that only stunting--in an inversely proportional fashion--was significantly associated with income. Prevalence rates of wasting or wasting plus stunting were not significantly associated with the per capita or with the total family income.