Percepção da imagem corporal de crianças e adolescentes com diferentes níveis socio-econômicos na cidade de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brasil Body image perception in children and adolescents with different socio-economic status in the city of Florianópolis, in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil

OBJETIVOS: identificar a percepção da imagem corporal em diferentes níveis socioeconômicos de crianças e adolescentes. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal realizado no município de Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, no ano de 2006. Quatrocentos e dois escolares, com média de idade de 11,35 ± 1,98 anos, matriculados nas séries finais do ensino fundamental, foram investigados. A percepção da imagem corporal foi identificada por meio do protocolo de silhuetas de Stunkard e o nível socioeconômico pelos critérios propostos pela Associação Nacional de Empresas e Pesquisa (ANEP). Foram calculadas razões de prevalências para insatisfação pelo excesso de peso e pela magreza. RESULTADOS: no sexo masculino, a silhueta 3 foi a mais citada nas classes alta e média e a 4 na baixa; no feminino a silhueta 2 foi a mais citada nas classes alta e baixa e a 3 na média considerando a percepção real de sua silhueta. A silhueta 3 para o sexo masculino e a 2 para o feminino foram consideradas ideais pelo maior percentual de escolares. Os jovens da classe baixa apresentaram maiores prevalências de insatisfação pelo excesso de peso em relação os da classe alta. CONCLUSÕES: houve uma tendência dos escolares das classes mais altas apresentarem insatisfação pela magreza e das mais baixas pelo excesso de peso.<br>OBJECTIVES: to identify the body image perception in children and adolescents from different socio-economic backgrounds. METHODS: a cross-cutting study was carried out in the city of Florianópolis, in the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil, in the year 2006. Four hundred and two schoolchildren, with an average age of 11.35 ± 1.98 years, enrolled in the final years of primary school were investigated. Body image perception was identified using the Stunkard silhouettes protocol and socio-economic status was evaluated using the criteria proposed by the National Pres and Research Association (ANEP). Prevalence ratios were calculated for dissatisfaction arising from perceived excessive weight or excessive thinness. RESULTS: among males, silhouette 3 was the one most often chosen among those from the upper and middle classes, whereas those of lower socio-economic status opted for silhouette 4; middle and upper class girls, however, opted for silhouette 2 was chosen and girls from less privileged backgrounds tended to select silhouette 3 as best representing their own silhouette. Silhouette 3 for males and 2 for females are considered to be the ideal for most school-age children. Less privileged young people had a higher prevalence of dissatisfaction arising from excess weight than more privileged ones. CONCLUSIONS: there was a tendency to children of a higher social status to be dissatisfied because they regarded themselves as being too thin and for children of lower social status to be dissatisfied because they perceived themselves to be overweight

Several anthropometric measurements and breast cancer risk: results of the E3N cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between various anthropometric characteristics and breast cancer. DESIGN: Longitudinal prospective cohort study. Follow-up between 1995 and 2000.Subjects:In total, 69 116 women (age: 45-70 years; mean follow-up: 3.6 years), 275 premenopausal and 860 postmenopausal incident invasive breast cancers. MEASUREMENTS: Self-reported height, weight, breast, thorax, waist and hip circumferences and calculated body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) at baseline. RESULTS: A slight increase in risk with increasing height was found. Weight, BMI, thorax and waist circumferences and WHR were negatively related to breast cancer risk among premenopausal women. The relationships became non significant after additional adjustment for BMI. An increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer with an android body shape (WHR>0.87) might possibly be confined to obese women. Among postmenopausal women, all anthropometric measurements of corpulence were positively associated with breast cancer risk but became non significant after additional adjustment for BMI. No difference in risk of postmenopausal breast cancer according to HRT use was observed. CONCLUSION: The study confirmed that adiposity was negatively associated to premenopausal breast cancer risk and positively associated to postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Further studies will be needed to specify clearly the association between WHR and breast cancer risk, particularly before menopause