Associação entre estado nutricional antropométrico e dificuldades relacionadas à alimentação em pessoas com deficiência visual

Abstract

People with visual impairment are more predisposed to the development of noncommunicable chronic diseases due to poor diet, and should deserve special attention for the difficulties they encounter daily in order to eat healthy. In this context, the present study investigated which difficulties related to eating influence the antopometric nutritional status of people with visual impairment. Methodology: This is an observational, cross-sectional research, developed with different degrees of visual impairment attending institutions supporting people with this disability in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Anthropometric measurements were collected to assess BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage to assess the antopometric nutritional status of the participants. Statistical analyzes were performed using the SPSS version 20.0 statistical package, using the Chi-square test. Results: Among the evaluated subjects 58.8% were overweight (44.3% overweight and 14.4% obese) and 80.5% had excess body fat. It was also found that 44.9% had a risk for metabolic complications associated with central obesity due to the high waist circumference. Body mass index, waist circumference and fat percentage were associated with feeding difficulties In this study, visually impaired people with less difficulty in performing food-related activities showed a greater change in their antopometric nutritional status, revealing that further studies are needed to investigate why people who are easier to perform tasks are overweight and obese. Than visually impaired people with great or extreme difficulty.