Excess weight and obesity prevalence in the RPS Brazilian Birth Cohort Consortium (Ribeirão Preto, Pelotas and São Luís).

Carolina Abreu De Carvalho,Ana Maria Baptista Menezes,Viviane Cunha Cardoso,Marco Antonio Barbieri,Iná S Santos,Ana Karina Teixeira Da Cunha França,Helen Gonçalves,Natália Peixoto Lima,Fernando C Wehrmeister,Bernardo Lessa Horta,Antônio Augusto Moura Da Silva,Elma Izze Da Silva Magalhães,Alicia Matijasevich,Heloisa Bettiol

doi:10.1590/0102-311x00237020

Abstract

Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of excess weight and obesity, according to sex and income in the RPS Brazilian Birth Cohort Consortium (Ribeirão Preto, Pelotas, and São Luís). Participants in the Ribeirão Preto (1978/1979 and 1994), Pelotas (1982, 1993 and 2004) and São Luís (1997/1998) birth cohorts were included in different follow-ups from 7 years old onwards. Excess weight (overweight and obesity) were assessed by body mass index. The highest prevalences were observed in Ribeirão Preto (excess weight: 27.7% at 9-11 and 47.1% at 22-23 years; obesity: 8.6% at 9-11 and 19.8% at 22-23 years) while the smallest was in São Luís (excess weight: 5.4 to 7-9 and 17.2% at 18-19 years; obesity: 1.8% at 7-9 and 3.6% at 18-19 years). The younger the cohort, the greater the prevalence of excess weight and obesity when comparing similar age groups. Increases in obesity prevalence were greater than in excess weight prevalence. Women had lower excess weight prevalence in older cohorts and higher obesity prevalence in younger cohorts. Higher excess weight and obesity prevalence were observed in higher income children and adolescents, and in poorer adults. Differences in the prevalence of excess weight and obesity evidenced that individuals from younger cohorts are more exposed to this morbidity, as well as those who were born in the most developed city, low-income adults as well as children and adolescents belonging to families of the highest income tertile. Therefore, the results of this study indicate the need to prioritize actions aimed at younger individuals.

Highlights

The increase in overweight and obesity in the world is evident from the study carried out by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration 1, with data from more than 19.2 million adults in 186 countries
Our study aims to assess excess weight and obesity prevalence in six birth cohorts of the Brazilian cities of Ribeirão Preto, Pelotas and São Luís, at different ages, years of onset and follow-ups from the RPS Brazilian Birth Cohort Consortium
This study included participants from the RPS Brazilian Birth Cohort Consortium followed at specific age ranges, who had data on weight and height

Summary

Introduction

The increase in overweight and obesity in the world is evident from the study carried out by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration 1, with data from more than 19.2 million adults in 186 countries. The prevalence of age-standardized obesity increased from 3.2% in 1974 to 10.8% in 2014 among men, and from 6.4% to 14.9% among women. The same study estimates that in 2025, the prevalence of obesity will reach 18% in men and exceed 21% in women. In Brazil, in 2018, the prevalence of excess weight among adults was 55.7%, and of obesity was 19,8% 2. The main studies carried out in Brazil were cross-sectional [2,3], allowing to identify the prevalence of excess weight at different ages and to monitor its temporal trend. Cohort studies initiated in different periods and regions make it possible to compare trends in excess weight in individuals from the same cohort over time and of similar age groups from cohorts that started in different periods and regions

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Conclusion