NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

ANTHROPOMETRIC ASSESSMENT AMONG SCHOOLCHILDREN FROM ADVENTIST SCHOOLS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional status (NS) and anthropometric assessment data of children and adolescents aged 4 to 17 years, enrolled in Adventist schools located in the southern region of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. This exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional, population-based study evaluated body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WtHR), and triceps skinfold thickness (TSF) in 9,649 schoolchildren, of whom 52% were female. Agreement among the different diagnostic methods ranged from 72% to 89%, and Kappa indices (κ) varied from moderate (κ = 0.45) to substantial (κ = 0.75). The prevalence of overweight (OVW) and obesity (OBE) assessed by BMI was 11% and 25%, respectively, while excessive adiposity (EA) and obesity assessed by TSF were 20% and 17%. The prevalence of abdominal obesity measured by WC was 31%, and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk related to abdominal obesity assessed by WtHR was 24%. Obesity prevalence was significantly higher among boys (p < 0.05), and prevalences did not differ significantly between Adventist and non-Adventist students, except at ages 5, 6, and 7 years according to BMI, at 10 years according to TSF, and at 6 years according to WtHR. These findings are comparable to those observed in the Brazilian pediatric population and reinforce that overweight, obesity, and central adiposity remain a major public health concern, demanding urgent administrative, educational, and preventive strategies aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles from childhood and adolescence