Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Paper
  • Published:

Overweight and obesity in Brazilian adolescents

International Journal of Obesity volume 24, pages 869–874 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the prevalence of overweight and obesity (OW+O) among Brazilian adolescents and to identify risks for subpopulations defined according to the five country macro-regions and situation (urban–rural) of the domiciles, income, years of school attendance, age and sex.

DESIGN: A nationwide home-based survey representative of the Brazilian civilian noninstitutionalized population, performed in 1989.

METHODS: The sampling plans followed a stratified, multistage, probability cluster design in The National Research of Health and Nutrition sample, which collected anthropometric data of 14,455 domiciles. In all, 13,715 adolescents ranging from 10 to 19 y of age were studied. The OW+O was defined from a body mass index (BMI) equal or superior to the 85th percentile of the reference population of the NCHS. The prevalences in the different studied groups were compared using the adjusted odds ratio in logistic regression models.

RESULTS: The prevalence of OW+O was of 7.7%, reaching 10.6% within the female group and 4.8% within the male group. A direct relation could be established between the socioeconomic level and OW+O. Adolescents of the most industrialized region of the country presented a risk of OW+O 1.86 (95% CI 1.51–2.30) times higher than that found in the least developed region. Male youngsters who lived in urban areas were more liable (OR=1.71, 95% CI 1.30–2.25) to overweight than their counterparts of rural areas. The occurrence of menarche increased two and a half times (OR=2.58, 95% CI 2.11–3.15) the risk of OW+O within the female group of adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate a low prevalence of OW+O among Brazilian adolescents when compared with adolescents of more industrialized regions. The OW+O is twice as high within the female group, which represents a much greater difference than the one encountered in industrialized countries, probably owing to the muscular work carried out preponderantly by male adolescents of lower socioeconomic levels. Higher prevalences in subpopulations of higher socioeconomic level and of more industrialized regions show the great need for differentiated actions to control overweight and obesity in the country.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. WHO Working Group . Use and interpretation of anthropometric indicators of nutritional status Bull WHO 1986 64: 929–941.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Kurz MK . Adolescent nutritional status in developing countries Proc Nutr Soc 1996 55: 321–331.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. WHO Expert Committee . Physical status: the use and interpretation of anthropometry World Health Organization Technical Report Series, no. 854 Geneva: World Health Organization 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  4. World Health Organization . Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic Report of the WHO Consultation on Obesity Geneva: WHO 1998.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Popkin BM . The nutrition transition in low-income countries: an emerging crisis Nutr Rev 1994 52: 285–298.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Must A, Jaques PF, Dallal GE, Bajema CJ, Dietz WH . Long term morbidity and mortality of overweight adolescents: a follow-up of the Harvard growth study of 1922 to 1935 N Engl J Med 1992 327: 1350–1355.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Gortmaker SL, Must A, Perrin JM, Sobol AM, Dietz WH . Social and economic consequences of overweight in adolescence and young adulthood N Engl J Med 1993 329: 1008–1012.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Instituto Nacional de Alimentação e Nutrição . Pesquisa Nacional Sobre Saúde e Nutrição (PNSN) Brasília 1990 (resultados preliminares).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Fletcher PR . PNSN-Plano de amostragem OIT: Brasília, DF 1987.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Coitinho DC, Leão mm, Recine E, Sichieri R . Condições nutricionais da população brasileira: adultos e idosos (Pesquisa Nacional Sobre Saúde e Nutrição) MS/INAN: Brasília 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kleinbaum DG, Kupper LL, Muller KE, Nizam A . Applied regression analysis and other multivariable methods, 3rd ed Duxbury Press: New York 1998.

  12. CDC, Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Prevalence of overweight among adolescents: United States, 1988–1991 Morbid Mortal Weekly Rep 1994 43: 818–821.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Troiano RP, Flegal KM, Kuczmarski RJ, Campbell SM, Johnson CL . Overweight prevalence and trends for children and adolescents Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1995 149: 1085–1091.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Al-Nuaim AR, Al-Rubeaan K, Al-Mazrou Y, Al-Attas O, Al-Daghari N, Khoja T . High prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi Arabia Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1996 20: 547–552.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Broussard BA, Johnson A, Himes JH, Story M, Fichtner R, Hauck F, Bachman-Carter R, Hayes J, Frohlich K, Gray N, Valway S, Gohdes D . Prevalence of obesity in American Indians and Alaska natives Am J Clin Nutr 1991 53: 1535S–1542S.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Forbes GB . Nutrition and growth J Pediatr 1977 91: 40–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Poskitt EME . The fat child. In Brooks CGD. Clinical paediatric endocrinology 2nd edn. Blackwell Scientific Publication: Oxford 1989 143–165.

  18. Meredith CN, Dwyer JT . Nutrition and exercise: effects on adolescent health Ann Rev Public Health 1991 12: 309–333.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. CDC . Vigorous physical activity among high school students—United States, 1990 Morbid Mortal Weekly Rep 1992 41: 33–35.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Diguiseppi C, Roberts I, Li L . Influence of changing travel patterns on child death rates from injury: trend analysis BMJ 1997 314: 710–713.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Sobal J, Stunkard AJ . Socioeconomic status and obesity: a review of the literature Psychol Bull 1989 105: 260–275.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Popkin BM, Richards MK, Montiero CA . Stunting is associated with overweight in children of four nations that are undergoing the nutrition transition J Nutr 1996 126: 3009–3016.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Akesode FA, Ajibode HA . Prevalence of obesity among nigerian school children Soc Sci Med 1983 17: 107–111.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Mendonza HR, Pérez C, Díaz C, Pérez R, Guerrero A, Guzmán V . Sobrepeso y obesidad en adolescentes dominicanos de alto nivel socioeconómico Arch Domin Pediatr 1990 26: 45–50.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Drewnowski A, Popkin BM . The nutrition transition: new trends in the global diet Nutr Rev 1997 55: 31–43.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Taddei JAAC . Epidemiologia da Obesidade na Infância. In Fisberg M Obesidade na Infância e na Adolescência Fundação BYK: São Paulo 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  27. UNDP . Human development report Oxford University Press: New York 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Knishkowy BN, Palti H, Adler B, Gofin R . A follow-up study of adiposity and growth of Jerusalem schoolchildren from age 6 to 14 y J Adolesc Health Care 1989 10: 192–199.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Miller FJW, Billewicz WZ, Thomson AM . Growth from birth to adult life of 442 newcastle upon tyne children Br J Prev Soc Med 1972 26: 224–230.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Frisch RE, Revelle R . The height and weight of girls and boys at the time of initiation of the adolescent growth spurt in height and weight and the relationship to menarche Hum Biol 1971 43: 140–159.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Mossberg HO . 40-year follow-up of overweight children Lancet 1989 26: 491–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Di Pietro L, Mossberg HO, Stunkard A . A 40-year history of overweight children in Stockholm: life-time overweight, morbidity, and mortality Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1994 18: 585–590.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Rimm IJ, Rimm AA . Association between juvenile onset obesity and severe adult obesity in 73,532 women Am J Public Health 1976 66: 479–481.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculdade de Nutrição da Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário, s/n, Pelotas, CEP 96010-900, RS, Brazil

    MB Neutzling

  2. Department of Pediatrics-Escola Paulista de Medicina/Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    JAAC Taddei & DM Sigulem

  3. Fundação Seade, Brazil

    EM Rodrigues

Authors
  1. MB Neutzling
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. JAAC Taddei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. EM Rodrigues
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. DM Sigulem
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to MB Neutzling.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Neutzling, M., Taddei, J., Rodrigues, E. et al. Overweight and obesity in Brazilian adolescents. Int J Obes 24, 869–874 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801245

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0801245

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links