The nutritional state of 152 urban and 30 rural pre-school children was evaluated on antropometric criteria, using the 1946 Gomez and 1986 WHO classifications, in a transverse study in Nhamundá municipal district, Amazonas State, Brazil, during 1998. In the Gomez classification 52,75% of the children in the urban area presented some degree of malnutrition, with the light form (DI) predominating, but with a prevalence of 9,2% the moderate form (DII). In the rural of area the situation was more precarious, both in terms of total prevalence (66,6%) and severity of manifestation, with (3,3%) of the sample classified as DIII. According to the WHO criteria 26,9% this sample presente substandard scores of height for age (indicative of chronic malnutrition), less evident in the first year of life (4,8%). Acute malnutrition indicated by low weight for height was diagnosed in 3,3% of these children.
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