A fome para meninos e meninas em situação de rua: além da sensação da “barriga vazia”

Brazil is characterized as a developing country, marked by socioeconomic disparities, with unequal distribution of income. A great number of Brazilian people live under lhe poverty tine, having no right to citizenship. The existence of children and adolescente in street situation is one more proof of social inequality. This study aimed to know and analyze, in a group of children and adolescents that live in the streets of Goiania, their resting time, the type of food ingested over 24 hours and the meaning of hunger to the group. It was a descriptive research conducted by means of a qualitative approach. The results showed that the boys possess enough time, in hours, to rest but it does not mean they have a calm sleep, considering the situation in which they live; the food is insufficient in amount and quality; and we noticed that the hunger sensation (understood as “empty belly”) is not a usual part of their daily routine, due to solidarity among them and of the society (pedestrians, restaurant and snack bar owners). Therefore, we emphasize the importance of an interdisciplinary work, including the Nutrition arca, which is a possible instrument for Public Health actions that can validate Health Promotion.