Low body weight/thinness, overweight and obesity of children and adolescents from a Brazilian region of low economic status

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of low body weight/thinness, overweight and obesity in a representative sample of children and adolescents from a Brazilian region with low economic development. METHODS: A total of 982 girls and 986 boys, aged seven to 17 years old and assisted by Segundo Tempo Program, from Montes Claros, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were included in the study. Low body weight/thinness, overweight and obesity were defined based on body mass cut-off indexes recommended by the International Obesity Task Force. The prevalence of the nutritional status according to sex and age was compared by chi-square test. RESULTS: In girls, the frequency of low body weight/thinness, overweight and obesity was 4.1, 18.4 and 3.8%, respectively; in boys, these percentages were 6.3, 13.2 and 2.9%, respectively. The low body weight/thinness for girls raised from 2.7% (7-10 years old) to 5.5% (15-17 years old); the body weight excess (overweight and obesity) decreased from 30.1 to 16.2% for the same age groups. In boys, the corresponding trends were from 3.2 to 9.4% for low body weight/thinness, and from 23.4 to 9.2%, for body weight excess. CONCLUSIONS: The data indicate that, even in a region with low economic status, the body weight excess was the main problem associated with nutritional health. The high overweight and obesity prevalence rates indicate the need of public policies for promoting healthy feeding behaviors and physical activity.

研究目的：本研究旨在评估巴西经济欠发达地区的儿童青少年代表性样本中，低体重/消瘦、超重与肥胖的患病率。
研究方法：本研究共纳入来自巴西米纳斯吉拉斯州蒙特斯克拉罗斯市Segundo Tempo项目的服务对象共计1968名儿童青少年，其中女童982名、男童986名，年龄介于7至17岁。低体重/消瘦、超重及肥胖的判定依据国际肥胖特别工作组（International Obesity Task Force）推荐的体质量界值标准。采用卡方检验（chi-square test）比较不同性别与年龄组的营养状况患病率。
研究结果：女童的低体重/消瘦、超重及肥胖患病率分别为4.1%、18.4%与3.8%；男童上述三类营养状况的占比则分别为6.3%、13.2%与2.9%。女童低体重/消瘦患病率从7-10岁年龄组的2.7%上升至15-17岁年龄组的5.5%；而同年龄段女童的体质量超标（超重与肥胖）患病率则从30.1%下降至16.2%。男童低体重/消瘦患病率的对应变化趋势为3.2%升至9.4%，体质量超标患病率则从23.4%降至9.2%。
结论：本研究数据显示，即便在经济欠发达地区，体质量超标仍是与营养健康相关的主要公共卫生问题。居高不下的超重与肥胖患病率提示，亟需制定公共政策以推广健康饮食行为与体力活动。