Obesity in adolescents in Southern Brazil: association with sociodemographic factors, lifestyle and maturational stage

Abstract Excess body fat is associated with chronic degenerative diseases, being a global public health problem. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of obesity with sociodemographic factors, lifestyle (physical activity, dietary habits) and sexual maturation in high school students of a city in southern Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study with 820 adolescents enrolled in public high schools of S ão José, Santa Catarina, Brazil, aged 14-17 years. Obesity was estimated by body fat percentage (BF%). BF% was calculated using the Lohman equation, which considers the sum of skinfolds (triceps and subscapularis). Cutoff points proposed by William et al. were used to classify individuals into nor mal weight or obese. Independent variables were sex, age, economic status, parental education, eating habits, physical activity and sexual maturation. The prevalence of obesity was 17.2%. Females (OR: 4.22; 95% CI: 2.72-6.54) and young people at post-pubertal stage of sexual maturation (OR: 1.95; 95 % CI: 1.33-2.86) were more likely to have obesity. These results may help health authorities in the planning of public policies to prevent obesity.Resumo O excesso de adiposidade corporal est á associado a doenças crônicas degenerativas, sendo problema global de saúde pública. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a associação da obesidade com fatores sociodemográficos, estilo de vida (atividade física, hábitos alimentares) e maturação sexual em estudantes do e...
Source: Revista Brasileira de Cineantropometria e Desempenho Humano - Category: Sports Medicine Source Type: research