Abstract
OBJECTIVES:The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity in school children and adolescents in a medium-sized Brazilian city.METHODS:In total, 1,125 children and adolescents between the ages of 5.6 and 18 years from public and private schools participated in the study. The sample included 681 girls and 444 boys. Each subject's weight and height were obtained according to Brazilian guidelines (SISVAN). The triceps (TSF), subscapular (SSF), biceps, suprailiac, femoral and calf skinfolds were measured in triplicate. Body mass index (BMI) was classified as the BMI percentile (BMIP) according to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2007 criteria. The percentage body fat (%BF) was obtained using the equations by Slaughter et al., 1998. Categorical variables were analyzed using the chi-squared test.RESULTS:Overall, 364 participants with excess weight were identified: 17.3% were overweight, and 15.0% were obese. Among the girls, 18.0% were overweight, and 12.5% were obese; among the boys, 15.3% were overweight, and 18.0% were obese. These prevalence rates were higher when the time spent watching TV or participating in media-related activities surpassed 5 hrs/day, when individuals belonged to a higher economic class and when the head of the family had a higher education level (≥12 years).CONCLUSION:It is important to emphasize the need to increase our understanding of factors associated with overweight and obesity, and it is essential to implement measures and policies aimed at reversing this trend, such as stimulating healthy eating habits and physical activity and reducing time spent watching TV and participating in other media activities, including video games and social networking.
Highlights
Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat mass compared to a lean body mass, resulting in a positive energy balance [1]
Overweight was more prevalent in females (n=127, 59.9%), and obesity was more prevalent in males (n=84, 55.3%) (p=0.004)
The prevalence rates of overweight and obesity found in our study is yet another cause for concern for the health of children and adolescents in Brazil
Summary
Obesity is defined as an excess of body fat mass compared to a lean body mass, resulting in a positive energy balance [1]. Obesity has increased both in adult populations and among children and adolescents [2], it affects both developed and developing countries [3], and it has been associated with the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD), hypertension, metabolic syndrome, some types of cancer (CA), joint. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2008, 35% of adults over 20 years of age were overweight, and 11% were obese. In the United States in 2009-2010, the National Center of Health Statistics (NCHS) reported obesity prevalence rates of 18.6% and 15% among male and female adolescents, respectively [6]
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