Comparative analysis of temporal trends of obesity and physical inactivity in Brazil and the USA (2011-2021).

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of obesity is rising in all subregions of America, including Brazil. To understand the obesity problem in Brazil better, a possible approach could be to analyze its obesity trend by comparing it with the reality of a country that went previously through the epidemiological transition, such as the USA. In addition, the obesity trend must be analyzed in comparison with obesity risk factors trends, such as the physical inactivity (PI) trend. Our aim was comparatively to analyze the temporal trends of obesity between Brazil and the USA from the perspective of temporal trends of PI. METHODS: We conducted a temporal trend study based on data from national cross-sectional surveys: the VIGITEL (Surveillance System for Factors of Health Risk and Protection for Chronic Diseases by Telephone Survey) for Brazil and the BRFSS (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System) for the USA, comparing the annual prevalence of obesity and PI between 2011 and 2021. For the analysis of each temporal variation, linear regressions were performed with the Prais-Winsten test, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was conducted to correlate the trends of the same variables between countries and of different variables within each country. RESULTS: Considering the total sample, Brazil [coefficient (95%CI) 0.6 (0.4;0.7), p = 0.000] and the USA [coefficient (95%CI) 0.5 (0.5;0.6), p = 0.000] showed increasing trends in obesity. The tendency of PI was of stabilization in the two countries [Brazil: coefficient (95%CI) -0.03 (-0.3;0.2), p = 0.767 and USA coefficient (95%CI) -0.03 (-0.2;0.1), p = 0.584]. In addition, there was a correlation between obesity trends between Brazil and the USA (r = 0.971; p = 0.000), but there was no correlation between PI trends between the two countries, nor with obesity and PI trends within each country. CONCLUSIONS: In the last decade, there was a trend towards increasing obesity and stabilization in PI, both in Brazil and the USA. However, there was no association between temporal trends in obesity and physical inactivity in both countries. Our data reinforce a call to action to prevent and control obesity, going with and beyond PI reduction.

Attendance in physical education classes, sedentary behavior, and different forms of physical activity among schoolchildren: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Attendance in physical education classes (PE) helps young people to achieve the physical activity recommendations and to reduce their exposure to sedentary behavior. However, the association between PE attendance and the daily frequency of specific forms of physical activity is less known. The current study analyzed the association between weekly attendance in PE and daily frequencies of different forms of physical activity (active play, non-active play, structured physical activity), and overall daily frequencies of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors (SB) among schoolchildren. METHODS: Cross-sectional study with schoolchildren from second to fifth grade of 11 public schools (n = 2,477; 9.1 ± 1.38-y-old; 53.2% girls; 17.5 ± 3.5 kg/m2) in Feira de Santana (Northeast Brazil). PA, SB, and attendance in PE were self-reported using a previously validated on-line questionnaire based on the previous day's recall (Web-CAAFE). Multiple Binomial Negative regression modeling was carried out to analyze the association (Prevalence Rate: PR) between weekly attendance in PE (0/week, 1/week, ≥ 2/week) and frequencies of active play, non-active play, and structured physical activity, with adjustments by age, school shift, and BMI z-scores. Regression models analyzing overall PA also included adjustments by household chores. RESULTS: Attendance in PE ≥ 2/week was associated with higher frequencies of active play (girls: PR = 1.40, 95%CI = 1.11-1.78; boys: PR = 1.49, 95%CI = 1.15-1.94) and structured physical activity (girls: PR = 2.11, 95%CI = 1.31-3.40; boys: PR = 4.33, 95%CI = 1.63-11.52). Higher attendance in PE (≥ 2/week) was associated with high overall PA (girls: PR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.06-1.62; boys: PR = 1.42, 95%CI = 1.14-1.77) and low SB (girls: PR = 0.80, 95%CI = 0.71-0.90; boys: PR = 0.81, 95%CI = 0.68-0.97). Attendance in PE 1/week was also associated with a lower frequency of daily SB among girls (PR = 0.73, 95%IC = 0.64-0.84) CONCLUSION: Higher weekly attendance in PE was associated with higher frequencies of active play, structured physical activity, higher overall PA, and lower SB among both girls and boys.