Association Between Aerobic Fitness And High Blood Pressure in Adolescents in Brazil: Evidence for Criterion-Referenced Cut-Points.

PURPOSE: Criterion-referenced cut-points for health-related fitness measures are lacking. This study aimed to determine the associations between aerobic fitness and high blood pressure levels (HBP) to determine the cut-points that best predict HBP among adolescents. METHOD: This cross-sectional school-based study with sample of 875 adolescents aged 14-19 years was conducted in southern Brazil. Aerobic fitness was assessed using the modified Canadian Aerobic Fitness Test (mCAFT). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were measured by the oscillometric method with a digital sphygmomanometer. Analyses controlled for sociodemographic variables, physical activity, body mass and biological maturation. RESULTS: Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves demonstrated that mCAFT measures could discriminate HBP in both sexes (female: AUC = 0.70; male: AUC = 0.63). The cut-points with the best discriminatory power for HBP were 32 mL·kg-1·min-1 for females and 40 mL·kg-1·min-1 for males. Females (OR = 8.4; 95% CI: 2.1, 33.7) and males (OR: 2.5; CI 95%: 1.2, 5.2) with low aerobic fitness levels were more likely to have HBP. CONCLUSION: mCAFT measures are inversely associated with BP and cut-points from ROC analyses have good discriminatory power for HBP.

Factors associated with violent behavior among adolescents in northeastern Brazil.

The aim of this study was to identify prevalence and factors associated with violent behavior among adolescents in Aracaju and Metropolitan region. The study included 2207 adolescents (16.03±1.08 years old) enrolled in high schools of the State Public Network. Violent behavior was identified from question 14 of the YRBS-2007 questionnaire with responses categorized as "never" and "one or more times." Higher prevalence in males in relation to risk factors for adoption of violent behavior was found: cigarette consumption (7.3%), alcohol consumption (39.1%), and marijuana use (3.4%). Data analysis used descriptive statistics and logistic regression with hierarchical model at two levels: (a) sociodemographic variables and (b) behavioral variables. For both sexes, association between violent behavior and cigarette smoking (OR=3.77, CI 95%=2.06-6.92 and OR=1.99, CI 95%=1.04 to 3.81, male and female, resp.) and alcohol consumption (OR=3.38, CI 95%=2.22 to 5.16 and OR=1.83, CI 95%=1.28 to 2.63, male and female, resp.) was verified. It was concluded that violent behavior is associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages and cigarettes among adolescents.

Distance from home to exercise site did not influence the adherence of 796 participants.

BACKGROUND: One of the difficulties in maintaining long-term adherence to exercise is the distance from home to the place of exercise. OBJECTIVE: To determine, for a private supervised exercise program (PSEP), the influence of the home-PSEP distance on adherence. METHODS: We identified 976 individuals and selected 796 who met the inclusion criteria. The home-PSEP distance was obtained by the Google Maps. Adherence was determined by quartiles (months): 1-4, 5-12, 13-36 and more than 36. The clinical conditions were stratified as healthy, obese and/or hypertensive and/or dyslipidemic and/or diabetic patients without coronary disease; coronary artery disease patients and other health problems like cancer, respiratory disease and panic. The home-PSEP distance was divided into (km): up to 1, 1 to 3, 3 to 10 and more than 10. For the statistical analysis, we used the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and the chi-square test. RESULTS: Of respondents, 46% lived up to 3 km, 39% lived between 3 and 10 km and about 15% lived more than 10 kilometers from the place of the PSEP. No differences were found between the medians of the months of participation in the PSEP as a function of home-PSEP distance (p = 0.11). CONCLUSION: For a given PSEP in the city of Rio de Janeiro, open from Monday through Saturday with free choice of time, the home-PSEP distance did not influence the adherence of participants. This was probably due to the quality of the service and/or lack of places closer to the participants' home.

Distância do domicílio ao local de exercício físico não influenciou a aderência de 796 participantes / Distance from home to exercise site did not influence the adherence of 796 participants

FUNDAMENTO: Uma das dificuldades para a manutenção da aderência de longo prazo a exercícios é a distância entre domicílio e local de exercício. OBJETIVO: Determinar, para um programa de exercício físico supervisionado (PES) privado, a influência da distância domicílio-PES sobre a aderência. MÉTODOS: Foram identificados 976 sujeitos e selecionados 796 que atendiam aos critérios de inclusão. A distância domicílio-PES foi obtida pelo Google Maps. A aderência foi determinada em quartis (meses): de 1 a 4, 5 a 12, 13 a 36 e mais de 36. As condições clínicas foram estratificadas como: saudáveis; obesos e/ou hipertensos e/ou dislipidêmicos e/ou diabéticos sem doença coronariana; coronariopatas e outros agravos como câncer, pânico e doenças respiratórias. A distância domicílio-PES foi dividida em (km): até 1, entre 1 e 3, entre 3 e 10, e mais de 10. Para a análise estatística, utilizaram-se a ANOVA Kruskal-Wallis e o quiquadrado. RESULTADOS: Dos participantes, 46% residiam até 3 km, 39% entre 3 e 10 km e cerca de 15% moravam a mais de 10 km do local de realização do PES. Não foram encontradas diferenças entre as medianas dos meses de permanência no PES em função da distância domicílio-PES (p = 0,11). CONCLUSÃO: Para um determinado PES privado da cidade do Rio de Janeiro e funcionando de segunda a sábado com livre escolha de horário, a distância domicílio-PES não influenciou na aderência dos participantes. Isso provavelmente se deveu à qualidade do serviço prestado e/ou a ausência de opções mais próximas do local de domicílio dos participantes. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2012; [online].ahead print, PP.0-0).

BACKGROUND: One of the difficulties in maintaining long-term adherence to exercise is the distance from home to the place of exercise. OBJECTIVE: To determine, for a private supervised exercise program (PSEP), the influence of the home-PSEP distance on adherence. METHODS: We identified 976 individuals and selected 796 who met the inclusion criteria. The home-PSEP distance was obtained by the Google Maps. Adherence was determined by quartiles (months): 1-4, 5-12, 13-36 and more than 36. The clinical conditions were stratified as healthy, obese and/or hypertensive and/or dyslipidemic and/or diabetic patients without coronary disease; coronary artery disease patients and other health problems like cancer, respiratory disease and panic. The home-PSEP distance was divided into (km): up to 1, 1 to 3, 3 to 10 and more than 10. For the statistical analysis, we used the Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA and the chi-square test. RESULTS: Of respondents, 46% lived up to 3 km, 39% lived between 3 and 10 km and about 15% lived more than 10 kilometers from the place of the PSEP. No differences were found between the medians of the months of participation in the PSEP as a function of home-PSEP distance (p = 0.11). CONCLUSION: For a given PSEP in the city of Rio de Janeiro, open from Monday through Saturday with free choice of time, the home-PSEP distance did not influence the adherence of participants. This was probably due to the quality of the service and/or lack of places closer to the participants’ home. (Arq Bras Cardiol. 2012; [online].ahead print, PP.0-0).