Epidemiology of whole body, peripheral, and central adiposity in adolescents from a Brazilian state capital

Abstract

The aim of this study was to associate the epidemiology of whole body, peripheral, and central adiposity with sociodemographic characteristics, health-related behaviors, and biological maturation of adolescents from a Brazilian state capital. A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil with 818 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years, and 61.8% female. The peripheral adiposity was assessed by the triceps skinfold thickness and the central adiposity by the subscapular skinfold thickness, using cutoff greater than or equal to percentile 90 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference curve. Adolescents with high whole body adiposity were those showing skinfold thickness values above the reference percentile. Logistic regression analysis was applied using multivariable model. The prevalence of high whole body, peripheral, and central adiposity was 8.0%, 8.7%, and 10.3% for boys and 3.8%, 6.3%, and 11.1% for girls, respectively. Factors associated with this outcome in boys were overweight/obesity and low aerobic fitness (p < 0.05). Besides these factors, girls were also associated with excessive body fat, low paternal schooling, and puberty status (p < 0.05). Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and eating habits were not associated with this outcome. It was concluded that the main predictors of high body adiposity were overweight and low aerobic fitness in both sexes and low parental schooling and puberty status in females.

Prevalence and factors associated with peripheral and central adiposity in primary school students in Brazil

“…In a city of the Southern Brazil there was found strong association between excess weight and sedentary habits 26 . This fact was not evidenced on students from Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil 16 .…”

“…In Southern Brazil, the percentage of high TST on boys was 20.2%, and high SST was 17.3%; the high percentage of skinfold thickness on girls was 14.2% for TST and 10.5% for SST 8 . In Florianópolis (Santa Catarina State), we noticed that the percentage of high skinfold thickness was 8.7% for TST and 10.3% for SST on boys, and 6.3% for TST and 11.1% for SST on girls 16 . We also noticed that for both genders there was higher prevalence of sedentary students.…”

“…In Mexico, the practice of physical activities was identified as a protective factor (0.78: 067-091) 19 . In schools of Florianópolis (Santa Catarina State, Brazil), there was no association between physical inactivity and high skinfold thickness 16 .…”

Excesso de adiposidade corporal em adolescentes: associação com fatores sociodemográficos e aptidão física

“…Dos vários componentes da aptidão física, tem-se a aptidão aeróbia, a qual apresenta relação inversa com os indicadores de adiposidade corporal (DUMITH et al, 2010;MOLINER-URDIALES et al, 2011;SILVA et al 2011). Apesar disso, a relação entre adiposidade corporal e os demais componentes da aptidão física ainda é pouco explorada.…”

“…A literatura demonstra que baixos níveis de aptidão aeróbia associam-se com excesso de gordura corporal em adolescentes (MOLINER-URDIALES et al, 2011;SILVA et al 2011), sendo o desempenho cardiorrespiratório a variável da aptidão física que mais explica a variação do IMC (DUMITH et al, 2010). Todavia, no presente estudo, a adiposidade corporal elevada não teve associação com a baixa aptidão aeróbia.…”