Obesity and Overweight Among Brazilian Early Adolescents: Variability Across Region, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender
IntroductionAs with most emerging nations, Brazil lacks up-to-date data on the prevalence of obesity and overweight among its children. Of particular concern is the lack of data on children in early adolescence, considered by many to be the crucial stage for weight-related healthcare.ObjectiveTo ass...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-04-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2018.00081/full |
| _version_ | 1819274804212006912 |
|---|---|
| author | Chris Fradkin Chris Fradkin Chris Fradkin Nadia C. Valentini Glauber C. Nobre Glauber C. Nobre João O. L. dos Santos |
| author_facet | Chris Fradkin Chris Fradkin Chris Fradkin Nadia C. Valentini Glauber C. Nobre Glauber C. Nobre João O. L. dos Santos |
| author_sort | Chris Fradkin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionAs with most emerging nations, Brazil lacks up-to-date data on the prevalence of obesity and overweight among its children. Of particular concern is the lack of data on children in early adolescence, considered by many to be the crucial stage for weight-related healthcare.ObjectiveTo assess regional, socioeconomic, and gender differences in the prevalence of obesity and overweight among Brazilian early adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on a racially diverse sample of students aged 10–13 years, from schools in three geographic regions (north, northeast, south) (N = 1,738). Data on gender, age, race, socioeconomic status (SES), weight, and height were obtained. Weight class was calculated from age- and gender-adjusted body mass index, based on children’s weight and height. Bivariate and multivariable analyses, with post hoc tests, were conducted to estimate differences between groups and were corrected for multiple comparisons. Procedures were approved by institutional review boards at study sites.ResultsAnalyses revealed a higher prevalence of obesity and/or overweight among: (1) children of higher SES; (2) children in southern Brazil; (3) males; and (4) Black females.ConclusionThe most salient predictor of weight risk among Brazilian early adolescents is higher SES. This finding is consistent with previous findings of an inverse social gradient, in weight risk, among emerging-nation population groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T23:14:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac708417341d49d39c6ce7e1362aad60 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T23:14:15Z |
| publishDate | 2018-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac708417341d49d39c6ce7e1362aad602022-12-21T17:26:34ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Pediatrics2296-23602018-04-01610.3389/fped.2018.00081357136Obesity and Overweight Among Brazilian Early Adolescents: Variability Across Region, Socioeconomic Status, and GenderChris Fradkin0Chris Fradkin1Chris Fradkin2Nadia C. Valentini3Glauber C. Nobre4Glauber C. Nobre5João O. L. dos Santos6Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilInstitute of Psychology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilPsychological Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, United StatesSchool of Physical Education, Physical Therapy and Dance, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, BrazilSchool of Physical Education, Physical Therapy and Dance, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, BrazilFederal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará, Iguatu, Ceará, BrazilSchool of Physical Education and Physical Therapy, Federal University of Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilIntroductionAs with most emerging nations, Brazil lacks up-to-date data on the prevalence of obesity and overweight among its children. Of particular concern is the lack of data on children in early adolescence, considered by many to be the crucial stage for weight-related healthcare.ObjectiveTo assess regional, socioeconomic, and gender differences in the prevalence of obesity and overweight among Brazilian early adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted on a racially diverse sample of students aged 10–13 years, from schools in three geographic regions (north, northeast, south) (N = 1,738). Data on gender, age, race, socioeconomic status (SES), weight, and height were obtained. Weight class was calculated from age- and gender-adjusted body mass index, based on children’s weight and height. Bivariate and multivariable analyses, with post hoc tests, were conducted to estimate differences between groups and were corrected for multiple comparisons. Procedures were approved by institutional review boards at study sites.ResultsAnalyses revealed a higher prevalence of obesity and/or overweight among: (1) children of higher SES; (2) children in southern Brazil; (3) males; and (4) Black females.ConclusionThe most salient predictor of weight risk among Brazilian early adolescents is higher SES. This finding is consistent with previous findings of an inverse social gradient, in weight risk, among emerging-nation population groups.http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2018.00081/fullBrazilobesityoverweightregionsocioeconomic status |
| spellingShingle | Chris Fradkin Chris Fradkin Chris Fradkin Nadia C. Valentini Glauber C. Nobre Glauber C. Nobre João O. L. dos Santos Obesity and Overweight Among Brazilian Early Adolescents: Variability Across Region, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender Frontiers in Pediatrics Brazil obesity overweight region socioeconomic status |
| title | Obesity and Overweight Among Brazilian Early Adolescents: Variability Across Region, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender |
| title_full | Obesity and Overweight Among Brazilian Early Adolescents: Variability Across Region, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender |
| title_fullStr | Obesity and Overweight Among Brazilian Early Adolescents: Variability Across Region, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender |
| title_full_unstemmed | Obesity and Overweight Among Brazilian Early Adolescents: Variability Across Region, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender |
| title_short | Obesity and Overweight Among Brazilian Early Adolescents: Variability Across Region, Socioeconomic Status, and Gender |
| title_sort | obesity and overweight among brazilian early adolescents variability across region socioeconomic status and gender |
| topic | Brazil obesity overweight region socioeconomic status |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fped.2018.00081/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chrisfradkin obesityandoverweightamongbrazilianearlyadolescentsvariabilityacrossregionsocioeconomicstatusandgender AT chrisfradkin obesityandoverweightamongbrazilianearlyadolescentsvariabilityacrossregionsocioeconomicstatusandgender AT chrisfradkin obesityandoverweightamongbrazilianearlyadolescentsvariabilityacrossregionsocioeconomicstatusandgender AT nadiacvalentini obesityandoverweightamongbrazilianearlyadolescentsvariabilityacrossregionsocioeconomicstatusandgender AT glaubercnobre obesityandoverweightamongbrazilianearlyadolescentsvariabilityacrossregionsocioeconomicstatusandgender AT glaubercnobre obesityandoverweightamongbrazilianearlyadolescentsvariabilityacrossregionsocioeconomicstatusandgender AT joaooldossantos obesityandoverweightamongbrazilianearlyadolescentsvariabilityacrossregionsocioeconomicstatusandgender |