Nutritional surveillance and dietary guidelines are integral components of the scope of the Brazilian National Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS), established in the Organic Health Law (Law No. 8,080, of September 19, 1990).¹1. Brasil. Presidência da República. Lei nº 8.080, de 19 de setembro de 1990. Dispõe sobre as condições para a promoção, proteção e recuperação da saúde, a organização e o funcionamento dos serviços correspondentes e dá outras providências. Diário Oficial da União, Brasília (DF), 1990 Set 20, Seção 1:18055.

The operationalization of a broad concept of food and nutrition surveillance requires the use of strategies to access and motivate different sources of information, such as population-based surveys, nutritional calls and scientific production, with an emphasis on monitoring the actions carried out by health services.²2. Ministério da Saúde (BR). Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Marco de referência da vigilância alimentar e nutricional na atenção básica. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2015. 54 p.

In Brazil, the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional - SISVAN), created in the 1990s,²2. Ministério da Saúde (BR). Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Marco de referência da vigilância alimentar e nutricional na atenção básica. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2015. 54 p. has been one of the tools of the SUS used for collecting and consolidating information on the nutritional status and dietary habits of the population attending primary healthcare services in the country.³3. Mrejen M, Cruz MV, Rosa L. O Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional (SISVAN) como ferramenta de monitoramento do estado nutricional de crianças e adolescentes no Brasil. Cad Saude Publica. 2023;39(1):e00169622. doi: 10.1590/0102-311XPT169622.
https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311XPT16962...

One of the actions that contributed to expanding the System’s coverage was its integration into welfare programs. Early initiatives, in this regard, included the establishment of food and nutrition surveillance actions as prerequisites for the financing and implementation of welfare programs, with a focus on addressing malnutrition and providing care for children and pregnant women at nutritional risk. In the context of this strategy, food and nutrition surveillance actions were linked to the conditionalities of income transfer programs, such as Bolsa Família program, contributing to expanding access to primary healthcare services for socially vulnerable populations, aiming to ensure equity, which is one of the SUS guidelines.²2. Ministério da Saúde (BR). Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Marco de referência da vigilância alimentar e nutricional na atenção básica. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2015. 54 p.

SISVAN data enable the acquisition of nutritional indicators for vulnerable groups, which are often underrepresented in population-based surveys, such as the indigenous population.⁴4. Silva OLO, Lindemann IL, Prado SG, Freitas KC, Souza AS. Vigilância alimentar e nutricional de crianças indígenas menores de cinco anos em Mato Grosso do Sul, 2002-2011. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2014;23(3):541-6. doi: 10.5123/S1679-49742014000300017.
https://doi.org/10.5123/S1679-4974201400... Despite the advances in the System’s coverage, challenges persist in the most difficult areas to access in the national territory, in addition to regional inequalities.

Throughout its trajectory, the Epidemiology and Health Services (Epidemiologia e Serviços de Saúde: revista do SUS - RESS) journal has contributed to disseminating information on food and nutrition surveillance through the publication of articles analyzing the coverage and trends in the distribution of SISVAN indicators for different age groups,⁵5. Aprelini CMO, Reis EC, Enríquez-Martinez OG, Jesus TR, Molina MCB. Tendência da prevalência do sobrepeso e obesidade no Espírito Santo: estudo ecológico, 2009-2018. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2021;30(3):e2020961. doi: 10.1590/S1679-49742021000300017.
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-4974202100... from children⁶6. Mourão E, Gallo CO, Nascimento FA, Jaime PC. Tendência temporal da cobertura do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional entre crianças menores de 5 anos da região Norte do Brasil, 2008-2017. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2020;29(2):e2019377. doi: 10.5123/s1679-49742020000200026.
https://doi.org/10.5123/s1679-4974202000... ^),(77. Gonçalves VSS, Silva SA, Andrade RCS, Spaniol AM, Nilson EAF, Moura IFd. Marcadores de consumo alimentar e baixo peso em crianças menores de 6 meses acompanhadas no Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional, Brasil, 2015. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2019;28(2):e2018358. doi: 10.5123/S1679-49742019000200012.
https://doi.org/10.5123/S1679-4974201900... and adults⁸8. Silva RPC, Vergara CMAC, Sampaio HAC, Vasconcelos Filho JE, Strozberg F, Ferreira Neto JFR, et al. Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional: tendência temporal da cobertura e estado nutricional de adultos registrados, 2008-2019. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2022;31(1):e2021605. doi: 10.1590/S1679-49742022000100019.
https://doi.org/10.1590/S1679-4974202200... to the elderly.⁹9. Barbosa BB, Baltar VT, Horta RL, Lobato JCP, Vieira LJES, Gallo CO, et al. Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN) coverage, nutritional status of older adults and its relationship with social inequalities in Brazil, 2008-2019: an ecological time-series study. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2023;32(1):e2022595. doi: 10.1590/S2237-96222023000100003.
https://doi.org/10.1590/S2237-9622202300... In this issue of RESS, the authors of the article entitled Anthropometric indicators in traditional peoples and communities in Brazil: analysis of individual records from the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System, 2019 describe the prevalence of underweight and obesity among individuals identified as traditional peoples and communities, based on individual data from SISVAN. The study included information from traditional peoples and communities such as riverside dwellers, geraizeiros, quilombolas, and, less frequently, babassu coconut breakers, faxinalenses and the Romani people, showing significant heterogeneity in the distribution of nutritional conditions, including short stature and obesity, among different communities.¹⁰10. Aguiar IWO, Carioca AAF, Barbosa BB, Adriano LS, Barros AQS, Kendall C, et al. Indicadores antropométricos em povos e comunidades tradicionais do Brasil: Análise de registros individuais do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional, 2019. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2023;32(4):e2023543. doi: 10.1590/S2237-96222023000400005.
https://doi.org/10.1590/S2237-9622202300...

The analysis of SISVAN data regarding the coverage and specific characteristics of each group is crucial for expanding knowledge of nutritional data generated from services. In addition to the advances in System coverage, the importance of strategies aimed at improving the collection of data related to food consumption markers stands out.¹¹11. Ricci JMS, Romito ALZ, Silva SA, Carioca AAF, Lourenço BH. Marcadores do consumo alimentar do Sisvan: tendência temporal da cobertura e integração com o e-SUS APS, 2015-2019. Cien Saude Colet. 2023;28(3):921-34. doi: 10.1590/1413-81232023283.10552022.
https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232023283... However, challenges persist in the completion and, especially, the use of data generated by SISVAN for planning, management and evaluation of nutrition services in the SUS primary healthcare.¹⁰10. Aguiar IWO, Carioca AAF, Barbosa BB, Adriano LS, Barros AQS, Kendall C, et al. Indicadores antropométricos em povos e comunidades tradicionais do Brasil: Análise de registros individuais do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional, 2019. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2023;32(4):e2023543. doi: 10.1590/S2237-96222023000400005.
https://doi.org/10.1590/S2237-9622202300...

Results of the analyses of the nutritional status of the study populations, based on data from the SISVAN, are relevant not only for revealing heterogeneity in the distribution of the various forms of malnutrition among these groups. They also call for public health responses that take into account the contexts and particularities of different peoples and communities in the country, ensuring food and nutritional security for the entire Brazilian population.

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