Jornal de Pediatria (Apr 2001)
Prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em crianças e adolescentes de uma escola da rede privada de Recife Overweight and obesity prevalence in children and adolescents from a private school in Recife
Abstract
OBJETIVOS: determinar a prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em estudantes de uma escola da rede privada de Recife, comparar as prevalências de sobrepeso e obesidade entre os sexos e entre os grupos etários (crianças e adolescentes) e verificar a correlação entre Índice de Massa Corporal e espessura da prega triciptal, nessa população. MÉTODOS: realizou-se um estudo de corte transversal com 762 estudantes (332 crianças e 430 adolescentes) de uma escola de classe média/alta de Recife, no ano de 1999. Sobrepeso foi definido como Índice de Massa Corporal igual ou superior ao percentil 85 para idade e sexo. Obesidade foi definida como Índice de Massa Corporal e espessura da prega triciptal iguais ou superiores ao percentil 85. RESULTADOS: as prevalências de sobrepeso e obesidade foram de 26,2% (IC95% = 23 a 29%) e 8,5% (IC95% = 6,5 a 10,5%), respectivamente. O sobrepeso mostrou-se mais prevalente nas crianças (34,3%) do que nos adolescentes (20,0%) (p OBJECTIVES: to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in students from a private school in Recife; compare the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity in boys and girls and in different age groups (children and adolescents) and verify the correlation between body mass index and triceps skinfold thickness in this population. METHODS: cross-sectional study with 762 students (332 children and 430 adolescents) from a middle/upper class school in Recife, in 1999. Overweight was defined as body mass index equal or above the 85th percentile for age and gender. Obesity was defined as body mass index and triceps skinfold thickness equal or above the 85th percentile. RESULTS: the prevalence rates were 26.2% (95%CI = 23 to 29%) for overweight, and 8.5% (CI95% = 6.5 to 10.5%) for obesity. Overweight was more prevalent among children (34.3%) than among adolescents (20.0%) (P < 0.001). Obesity was more frequent among children (14.2%) than among adolescents (4.2%) (P < 0.001). The prevalence of overweight in boys (34.6%) was higher than in girls (20.6%) (P < 0.001). The prevalence of obesity was also higher in boys (14.7%) than in girls (4.4%) (P < 0.001). The correlation coefficient between body mass index and triceps skinfold thickness was equal to 0.64 (95%CI = 0.60 to 0.68). CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of overweight in our study population was as high as that found in industrialized countries; obesity, however, was less frequent.
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