Prevalence of excessive body fat among adolescents of a south Brazilian metropolitan region and State capital, associated risk factors, and consequences

Abstract

BackgroundThe prevalence of overweight/obesity has become a major concern for public health in developing countries. Risk factors need to be well documented so that these countries develop public policies to fight the problem. Thus, the objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of excess fat among adolescents of a South Brazilian State Capital associated with risk factors and their consequences.MethodsThis study was conducted between 2014 and 2016 with adolescents aged 11–18 years. The following body composition measurements were collected: body mass, height, waist circumference, fat mass and bone mineral density (this latter through dual energy X-ray absorptiometry). Biochemical data as glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides were also collected. Finally, socioeconomic questionnaires were applied, as well as questionnaires regarding: the education level of guardians, active transportation, time spent with sedentary activities and physical activities. Odds ratios and chi-square test were applied in statistical analysis.ResultsData from 675 adolescents, from which 70% were males, were analyzed. The mean age was 14.7 ± 1.8 years. The prevalence of excess fat was 18.2% in boys and 92.1% in girls. As for sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity, having one of these factors increased the risk of being overweight by 7.9 times for boys and 3.0 times for girls. In boys, there was a significant association between excess fat and waist circumference (p = 0.000; OR = 13.5; CI = 7.0–25.9), physical activity level (p = 0.000; OR = 4.0; CI = 2.5–6.5), triglycerides (p = 0.019; OR = 2.2; CI = 1.1–4.2) and total cholesterol (p = 0.000; OR = 2.6; CI = 1.6–4.5). In girls, there was an association between having excess fat and an increase in total cholesterol (p = 0.000; OR = 8.0; CI = 2.6–24.4).ConclusionsThe high prevalence of excess fat was greater than what was described by some studies conducted in developed countries. This reality demonstrates the need to implement public policies that can directly promote the reduction of sedentary habits and reinforce the importance of adopting an active lifestyle.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5216-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Nursing actions for overweight and obese children in the Family Health Strategy

“…These findings corroborate the scientific evidence that reinforces the importance of this practice with children at risk or not up to ten years of age, especially the evaluation of body mass index, since it allows determining adiposity and overweight, besides being predictive of obesity in adult life. Therefore, the record of body mass index by age and sex since birth is recommended (3) .…”

“…In Brazil, an epidemiological transition from a scenario of malnourished children to those overweight and obese began in the 1990's (2)(3) . Research conducted in a state in southern Brazil, between 2014 and 2016, identified overweight in 18.2% of boys and 92.1% of girls, among 675 adolescents (3) .…”

“…In Brazil, an epidemiological transition from a scenario of malnourished children to those overweight and obese began in the 1990's (2)(3) . Research conducted in a state in southern Brazil, between 2014 and 2016, identified overweight in 18.2% of boys and 92.1% of girls, among 675 adolescents (3) . In Minas Gerais, among children served in the Family Health Strategy, overweight was 17.5% and obesity was 25.0% among girls; and 4.3% overweight and 13.0% obesity among boys (4) .…”

“…Childhood obesity can lead to problems in children's health, such as musculoskeletal disorders, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus (3,5) . Therefore, excess body weight is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in childhood and adulthood, being a predisposing factor for cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and chronic-degenerative diseases, which has concerned health professionals (6) .…”

“…Therefore, excess body weight is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in childhood and adulthood, being a predisposing factor for cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, and chronic-degenerative diseases, which has concerned health professionals (6) . In addition to the physical repercussions, obesity and overweight can also cause other disorders such as poor self-image and difficulty in social interaction due to fear of prejudice and stigmatization, and increased susceptibility of children to be bullied, which impacts throughout one's life (1,(3)(4)(5) .…”