ABSTRACT
A household survey was conducted to assess the nutritional status of the adult population in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the selected households, all adults (>or= 20 years) had their body mass and stature measured. Body mass index (BMI) was used to determine the nutritional status according to the World Health Organization classification. The population estimates showed low prevalence of underweight (BMI < 18.5kg/m(2)), while 45.8% of women and 49.6% of men were overweight/obese (BMI >or= 25kg/m(2)). Obesity prevalence varied from 5.6% to 19.3% in men and from 9.6% to 21.3% in women, according to age. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was not associated with income (in either men and women) or schooling (in men), but there was an inverse relationship between schooling and overweight/obesity in women. The prevalence of underweight decreased with increasing mean income in the census enumeration area. The authors conclude that overweight/obesity is the most prevalent nutritional disorder in both men and women in Niterói. This pattern resembles recent results for the adult population in Southeast Brazil as a whole, where Niterói is located.
