The objectives of this study were to (i) review extant literature on the prevalence of abdominal obesity (AO) in adolescents of both sex (10-19 years old); (ii) analyse the cut-off points used for the diagnosis of AO and (iii) compare its prevalence between developed and developing countries. The search was carried out using online databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, SCIELO and BioMed Central), references cited by retrieved articles and by contact with the authors, considering articles published from the establishment of the databanks until 19 October 2009. Only original articles and those using waist circumference in the diagnosis were considered. Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Fourteen of these studies were performed in developed countries. The prevalence of AO varied from 3.8% to 51.7% in adolescents from developing countries. The range of results was smaller among developed countries; with values from 8.7% to 33.2%. Eighteen different cut-off points were used. It was concluded the AO prevalence is high among adolescents, but is not clear what sex has a higher proportion and it is greater in adolescents from developing countries; however, there is no consensus in the literature about the criteria to be used.

OBJECTIVE:To estimate the prevalence of medicine use among high school students (14-18 years old) living in an urban area in Southern Brazil and the proportion who self-medicate and to explore the association between medicine use and demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables.METHODS:A school-based survey was conducted among high school students in the city of Maringá/PR, Brazil in 2007. The sample students were selected through two-stage random sampling. The sample included 991 students (54.5% females) from eight public and four private high schools. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Only medications used within the 15 days preceding data collection were considered. The independent variables studied were sex, age, socioeconomic status, living with parents, employment status, smoking habits, and alcohol use.RESULTS:The prevalence of medicine use among the adolescents was 55.8% (females = 64.3%, males = 45.7%, p<0.001) and 52.6% of this use represented self medication (females = 51.0%, males = 56.8, p = 0.21). The factors associated with medicine use were age, employment, and smoking, while the factors associated with self medication were male gender and employment. Chronic users did not tend to self-medicate.CONCLUSION: The data from this study demonstrate a high prevalence of medicine use and self medication; however, the variables associated with medicine use and self medication differed. Urgent strategies to promote the rational use of drugs in this population and their families are necessary.

Objective. To estimate the prevalence of physical inactivity among adolescents (aged 14 to 18 years) in the municipality of Maringá, state of Paraná, Brazil and to explore its association with demographic, socioeconomic and behavioral variables and nutritional status indicators. MethOds. Cross-sectional study with a representative sample of 991 high school students (54.5% of girls) from both public and private high schools selected through multi-stage random sampling. Habitual physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) adapted for adolescents, with the previous week taken as reference period. Physical inactivity was defined as <300 min/week of moderate and vigorous physical activity. Independent variables studied were: sex, age, type of school, socioeconomic level, smoking, sedentary behavior (≥4 h/day), nutritional status, and abdominal obesity. Results. The prevalence of physical inactivity among adolescents was 56.9% (girls= 57.9%, boys= 55.7%, p=0.46). Risk factors associated with physical inactivity were lower socioeconomic level, attendance to public schools and obesity. cOnclusiOn. A high prevalence of physical inactivity was found in the population investigated. The development of strategies to increase physical activity among adolescents are urgently needed. It can be achieved through content-based activities that promote a healthy lifestyle.

Low-serum IGF-I levels at birth is a risk factor for the development of retinopathy of prematurity in extremely LBW infants. We tested the hypothesis that JB1 (an IGF-I analog) prevents oxygen-induced retinopathy in our rat model. Neonatal rats were exposed to 50% oxygen with brief, clustered, hypoxic (12%) episodes from birth to P14. The pups were treated with s.c. injections of 1) JB1 (1 g/d) on P1, P2, and P3 (JB1x3); 2) JB1 (1 g/d) on alternate days from P1 to P13 (JB1x7); or 3) equivalent volume saline. Control littermates were raised in room air (RA) with all conditions identical except for inspired O 2 . Groups were analyzed after hyperoxia/hypoxia (H/H) cycling at P14 or allowed to recover in RA until P21. Systemic and ocular VEGF, soluble VEGFR-1, and IGF-I; retinal vasculature; and gene profile of retinal angiogenesis were assessed. JB1x3 was more effective with associated increases in sVEGFR-1 and decreased retinal pathologies than JB1x7. We conclude that early short-term exposure to systemic JB1 treatment normalizes retinal abnormalities seen with H/H cycling, an effect that may involve sVEGFR-1. (Pediatr Res 69: 135-141, 2011)

Objective:To describe the eruption chronology of the first deciduous teeth in premature infants with birth weight less than 1500g and to compare it according to gender and nutritional status at birth. Methods:Longitudinal study including 40 low birth weight premature infants of both genders. The tooth was considered erupted when the crown went through the gum and became part of the oral environment. The comparison of the eruption chronology in relation to gender and among children appropriate or small for gestational age was done by Student's t-test, being significant p<0.05. Results:The eruption of the first tooth (teeth) occurred, on average, with 11.0±2.1 months of chronological age and with 9.6±1.9 months corrected for prematurity. The first erupted teeth were the lower central incisors. The average eruption for males was 9.7±1.9 and, for females, 9.5±1.9 months, both corrected for prematurity (p=0.98). The average eruption in children with birth weight appropriate for gestational age was 10.1±1.4 months; for small for gestational age, it was 9.4±2.2, also corrected for prematurity (p=0.07). Conclusions: The average eruption age of the first teeth, corrected for prematurity, was 9.6 months. Sex and nutritional status at birth did not change the eruption chronology.