Factors associated with serum lipids of adolescents from the Brazilian South

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzes factors associated with serum lipids in adolescents from southern Brazil. METHODS: This is a school-based cross-sectional study with a probabilistic sample composed of 660 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years from the city of Três de Maio, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The following independent variables were analyzed: body mass index; waist-to-height ratio; moderate to vigorous level of physical activity; sedentary behaviour; lipid, total saturated fatty acid, cholesterol, sodium, and fiber intakes; smoking; and alcohol abuse. Linear regression analysis tested the association between the independent variables and total cholesterol and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol. RESULTS: Body mass index was directly associated with total cholesterol (β=0.96, p=0.001) and reversely associated with high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (β=-0.45, p