[Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from the city of Maceió (AL)]. / Prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em crianças e adolescentes da cidade de Maceió.

OBJECTIVE: To establish prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from the city of Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, and investigate the association of risk of overweight and obesity with gender, age and type of school. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Students between 7 and 17 years of age were selected from 396 public and private schools of Maceió. After randomization, data were collected by questionnaire. Weight and height were measured (body mass index = weight:height2). Overweight and obesity were defined, respectively, as body mass index greater than the 85th percentile and equal or greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender. RESULTS: The final sample included 1253 students (706 females). One hundred sixteen students were overweight and fifty six students were obese. Obesity was significantly associated with students between 7 and 9 years of age, when compared to the 10 and 13 year olds (p<0.04) and the 14 and 17 year olds (p<0.02). Private school students were more likely to be overweight (OR=2.2; CI95%:1.36 - 3.32) and more likely to be obese (OR=4.7; CI95%:2.32 - 9.34) than students CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity were, respectively, 9.3% and 4.5%. Overweight and obesity were significantly more frequent among private school students.

Prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em crianças e adolescentes da cidade de Maceió / Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from the city of Maceió (AL)

OBJETIVO: Estabelecer a prevalência de sobrepeso e obesidade em crianças e adolescentes de Maceió (Alagoas, Brasil) e verificar associação destes fatores com gênero, idade e tipo de escola. MÉTODOS: Estudo epidemiológico descritivo, transversal. Avaliou jovens de 7 a 17 anos de idade, sorteados das 396 escolas públicas e particulares de Maceió. Após a randomização, os dados foram coletados por meio de questionário e medidas antropométricas (Índice de Massa Corporal = peso: altura²). Sobrepeso e obesidade foram definidos como Índice de Massa Corporal superior ao percentil 85 e igual ou superior ao percentil 95 para idade e sexo, respectivamente. RESULTADOS: A amostra final foi constituída de 1253 estudantes (706 do gênero feminino). Identificados 116 estudantes com sobrepeso e 56 estudantes com obesidade. Houve associação significante entre obesidade e estudantes com idade de sete a nove anos quando comparados com os de 10 a 13 anos (p<0,04) e com os de 14 a 17 anos (p<0,02). Estudantes das escolas particulares apresentaram o dobro de chance de terem sobrepeso (OR=2,2; IC95 por cento:1,36-3,32) e aproximadamente cinco vezes mais chances de apresentarem obesidade (OR=4,7; IC95 por cento:2,32-9,34) em relação aos das escolas públicas. CONCLUSÃO: As prevalências do sobrepeso e obesidade foram de 9,3 por cento e 4,5 por cento respectivamente, sendo significantemente mais elevadas em estudantes das escolas particulares.

OBJECTIVE: To establish prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from the city of Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil, and investigate the association of risk of overweight and obesity with gender, age and type of school. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study. Students between 7 and 17 years of age were selected from 396 public and private schools of Maceió. After randomization, data were collected by questionnaire. Weight and height were measured (body mass index = weight:height2). Overweight and obesity were defined, respectively, as body mass index greater than the 85th percentile and equal or greater than the 95th percentile for age and gender. RESULTS: The final sample included 1253 students (706 females). One hundred sixteen students were overweight and fifty six students were obese. Obesity was significantly associated with students between 7 and 9 years of age, when compared to the 10 and 13 year olds (p<0.04) and the 14 and 17 year olds (p<0.02). Private school students were more likely to be overweight (OR=2.2; CI95 percent:1.36 - 3.32) and more likely to be obese (OR=4.7; CI95 percent:2.32 - 9.34) than students CONCLUSION: The prevalence of overweight and obesity were, respectively, 9.3 percent and 4.5 percent. Overweight and obesity were significantly more frequent among private school students.