Bahia Recôncavo teenager anthropometric profile

Adolescence from 10 to19 years old, is characterized by bio psychosocial changes influence adolescent feeding behavior and nutritional status. Among the methods used for nutritional assessment in this age group anthropometry is a useful, easy, low cost and safe method in clinical or interventional population studies. The nutrition transition experienced by developing countries has affected the nutritional status of adolescents increasing the number of overweight individuals, mainly due to changes in dietary patterns, including the low consumption of fruit and vegetables. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the anthropometric profile and to determine the prevalence of consumption of sugar, fat, fruit and vegetables among adolescents in a city in Bahia Recôncavo. This is a cross-sectional study developed from an outsourced action at “Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia” (UFRB) in a trade fair which took place in Santo Antonio de Jesus, Bahia. Anthropometric variables were measured concerning weight, height and abdominal circumference, and a simplified questionnaire was applied in order to determine the weekly consumption of food rich in sugar and fat, especially sweets, snacks, soft drinks, fried food, and fruit and vegetables among adolescents. 218 adolescents were investigated, 143 females and 75 males, 82.6% from Santo Antônio de Jesus – BA and 17.4% from the neighboring towns. The average age was 14. The anthropometric variables of weight, height, BMI and waist circumference differed significantly between the sexes and there was a prevalence of overweight in boys - 36%. Waist circumference was found elevated in 22.5% of adolescents. The consumption of sugar and fat, five or more times a week, was 55.0%. The consumption of fruit and vegetables was higher in female group, in which 44.8% reported consuming that kind of food five or more times a week. From these results, we recommend the implementation of nutrition education activities in the region aimed at promoting healthy eating habits, encouraging consumption of fruit and vegetables and reducing the consumption of sugar and fat, thus minimizing the risk of developing diseases associated with obesity.</p