TRACKING OF NUTRITIONAL STATUS BETWEEN CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE IN SCHOOLCHILDREN

ABSTRACT Introduction: In view of the growing prevalence of childhood excess weight and obesity In Brazil In recent decades, it is necessary to observe how this phenomenon occurs in the period of transition to adolescence. Objective: To verify the tracking of excess weight between childhood and adolescence in schoolchildren of both sexes. Methods: The study has a longitudinal design and the data used are part of a prospective study carried out from 2002 to 2005. Participants included 397 schoolchildren of both sexes (211 boys and 186 girls). The nutritional status was determined by the body mass index, and the participants were divided into the following groups: Normal Weight to Normal Weight, Normal Weight to Excess Weight, Excess Weight to Excess Weight, Excess Weight to Normal Weight. The tracking was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Kappa (k) index. Results: A significant difference (P <0.05) was observed between all variables (age and anthropometric indicators) between 2002 and 2005 for boys and girls. The ICC indicated tracking classified as high (ICC = 0.87) for the BMI values, and the tracking percentage showed that 87% of the subjects remained in the same category of normal weight and excess weight. The values of k = 0.68 show good tracking (P <0.001), indicating a strong maintenance of the subjects in the normal and excess weight categories. Conclusion: The tracking percentage was high, indicating that both boys and girls maintained the classification of excess weight during the period analyzed. Level of Evidence II; Lesser quality prospective study (eg, patients enrolled at different points in their disease or <80% followup).