Simultaneous Health Risk Behaviors in Adolescents Associated with Higher Economic Class in the Northeast of Brazil.

DESIGN: The social, cultural, and economic context can be an important variable in the perception and adoption of risk behaviors in adolescents. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to identify the prevalence of simultaneous health risk behaviors and associated socioeconomic factors in adolescents living in the metropolitan region of Aracaju, State of Sergipe, Brazil. METHODS: The sample consisted of 2,207 high school students aged 13-18 years. The risk behaviors measured were "low levels of physical activity," "excessive daily TV time," "high consumption of alcoholic beverages on a single occasion," "involvement in fights," "smoking cigarettes," "carrying firearms," and "marijuana consumption." Information was obtained through self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Considering the results, it was observed that female adolescents and those aged up to 16 years were less likely to have two or more health risk behaviors compared to males and those aged 17 years or more, respectively. It was also found that both high- and middle-income level adolescents had higher prevalence of having two or more health risk behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that male adolescents older than 16 years with better socioeconomic level were more exposed to the simultaneous presence of several health risk behaviors.

Systematic review shows only few reliable studies of physical activity intervention in adolescents.

Introduction. Several studies have pointed to the high prevalence of low levels of physical activity in adolescents, suggesting the need for more effective interventions for this group. The aim of this study was to present evidence of intervention programs for efficacy of physical activity for adolescents. Methods. Surveys in PubMed, SportDiscus, LiLacs, and SciELO databases were conducted using keywords to identify population, intervention, and outcome, as well as DeCS and MeSH terms in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, whenever appropriate. The review included observational studies with minimal intervention of six months, minimum sample size of 100 adolescents, written in any language, and those who have reached STROBE score greater than 70%. Results. Only seven studies met all inclusion criteria. Of these, five were pre- and postintervention and two had n > 2000 participants. Interventions were of several types, durations, and strategies for physical activity implementation. Behavior change was assessed in 43% of studies and three reported success in some way. Conclusion. Due to heterogeneity in their contents and methodologies, as well as the lack of jobs that accompany adolescents after the intervention period, one cannot draw conclusions about the actual effects of the intervention programs of physical activity on the behavior of young people.

O Efeito Hipotensor do Exercício Aeróbico: uma Breve Revisão / The Hypotensive Effect of Aerobic Exercise: a Short Review

Uma das principais causas de morte no Brasil está associadaa problemas cardiovasculares. A redução dos valorespressóricos, mesmo em sujeitos normotensos, é umimportante fator para minimizar o risco de doença cardíaca.Uma forma bem aceita para tratamento da Hipertensão Arterialé a prevenção primária com a execução de exercícios físicosque, segundo a literatura, diminuem os níveis pressóricos derepouso em indivíduos hipertensos. Objetivou-se na presenterevisão verificar a influência do exercício físico aeróbico nocomportamento da pressão arterial de indivíduos hipertensos,discutindo os aspectos fisiológicos envolvidos na reduçãopressórica e ratificando os benefícios e as característicasdo exercício físico aeróbico na promoção da saúde nessesindivíduos. Para tanto, buscou-se construir esse artigorevisando a literatura que versa sobre a questão. Algunsrelatos presentes nesta revisão demonstraram que o exercícioaeróbio, seja de forma aguda ou crônica, parece diminuir osníveis de PA em indivíduos normotensos e especialmentenos hipertensos. Existem evidências para considerar que oexercício aeróbio serve como estratégia terapêutica nãofarmacológica e de modificação do estilo de vida, essencialpara a prevenção, tratamento e controle da hipertensão...

One of the major causes of death in Brazil is associated withcardiovascular problems. The reduction of pressure levels,even in normotensive people, is an important factor to minimizethe risk of heart disease. A well accepted way for treatingarterial hypertension is primary prevention with the executionof physical exercises that, according to literature, decreasepressure levels at rest in hypertensive individuals. This reviewis proposed to check the influence of aerobic exercise onblood pressure behavior in hypertensive individuals,discussing the physiological aspects involved in pressurereduction and ratifying the benefits and characteristics ofaerobic exercise on health promotion. Accordingly, it wassought to build this article by reviewing the literature thatdeals with such issue. Some reports presented in this reviewhave showed that aerobic exercise, either acute or chronic,appears to decrease blood pressure levels in normotensiveand particularly in hypertensive patients. There is evidenceto believe that aerobic exercise serves as a nonpharmacologicaltreatment strategy and may change lifestyle,what is essential for the prevention, treatment and control ofhypertension...

Avaliação do Crescimento Físico em Escolares de 7 a 10 anos da Rede Pública de Ensino do Município de Aracaju-se / Evaluation of the Physical Growth in Students from 7 to 10 years of Public Education Network of the City of Aracaju-se

O objetivo desse estudo foi estudar o crescimentofísico em estudantes pertencentes à rede estadual de ensino,no município de Aracaju - SE. Material e Métodos: Foramavaliados 487 estudantes, sendo 237 do gênero masculino e250 do gênero feminino, separados por Unidade Escolar (UE).A faixa etária trabalhada foi dos 7 aos 10 anos, com médiade 8,75 ± 1,08 para os meninos e 8,72 ± 1,05 para as meninas.Para a análise dos dados utilizou-se a estatística descritiva,com nível de significância de 5% (p d” 0,05). O crescimentofoi avaliado através da mensuração da estatura e massacorporal. Adicionalmente avaliou-se o Índice de MassaCorporal (IMC). Resultados: As meninas apresentaramestatura média estatisticamente superior aos meninos aos 8anos de idade na UE “B” (p=0,01), e com maior massa corporalem relação ao gênero masculino aos 10 anos de idade, tambémna UE “B” (p=0,01). Com relação ao IMC, aos 10 anos, asmeninas também apresentaram superioridade significativaem relação aos meninos, novamente na UE “B” (p=0,03).Conclusão: Os valores encontrados nas variáveis estaturae massa corporal estão semelhantes aos verificados naliteratura. Faz-se necessário incentivar a prática regular deexercícios físicos em crianças e adolescentes, principalmentena rede escolar, como também produzir estudos longitudinaisa fim de confirmar essa indicação...

The aim of this study was to study the physicalgrowth of students from the state schools in the city ofAracaju – SE. Material and methods: We evaluated 487students, 237 males and 250 females, separated by SchoolUnit (SU). The age range was worked from 7 to 10 yearswith a mean of 8.75 ± 1.08 for boys and 8.72 ± 1.05 for girls.For data analysis we used descriptive statistics, with asignificance level of 5% (p dˆ 0.05). Growth was assessedby measuring height and body mass. Additionally weassessed the body mass index (BMI). Result: The girls hada mean height was statistically superior to boys at age 8 inthe SU “B” (p = 0.01) and greater body mass compared tomen at 10 years of age, also in the SU “B” ( p = 0.01).According to BMI, at age 10, girls also showed significantsuperiority over the boys again in the SU “B” (p = 0.03).Conclusion: The values found in the variables height andweights are similar to those seen in the literature. It isnecessary to encourage the regular practice of physicalexercise in children and adolescents, especially in the schoolenvironment, but also produce longitudinal studies to confirmthat statement...

Estado Nutricional de Estudantes do Município de Aracaju/SE / Nutritional Status of Students from the Municipality of Aracaju/SE

O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o estado nutricionalem escolares com idade entre 7 e 10 anos, pertencentes àRede Estadual de Ensino, no município de Aracaju/SE. Materiale Métodos: Foram avaliados 487 estudantes, sendo 237 dogênero masculino e 250 do gênero feminino, separados porUnidade Escolar (UE). A faixa etária trabalhada foi dos 7 aos10 anos, com média de 8,75 ± 1,08 para os meninos e 8,72 ±1,05 para as meninas. Para isso, elaborou-se uma tabela declassificação percentílica, a partir do Índice de Massa Corporal(IMC), segundo o padrão desnutrição, eutrofia, sobrepeso eobesidade da Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS). Os dadosforam comparados entre si, de acordo com gênero e faixaetária dos escolares através da Análise de Variância com umfator (ANOVA ONE WAY), com nível de significância de 5% (pd” 0,05). Resultados: Quanto ao IMC observou-se que houvediferenças significativas no gênero masculino entre as idades7-10 (p=0,00) e 8-10 (p=0,03), e no feminino entre 7-10 (p=0,00),8-10 (p=0,02) e 9-10 (p=0,02). Na avaliação do EstadoNutricional (EN), verificou-se que 80,08% de todos os escolaresencontravam-se eutróficos. Observou-se que 5,13% dosestudantes encontravam-se no padrão desnutridos, enquantoque 15,6% de todos os estudantes estavam com sobrepeso ouobesidade. Conclusão: Conclui-se que um número considerávelde estudantes encontrava-se dentro de alguma faixa de riscoà saúde, em virtude da desnutrição, e principalmente dosobrepeso ou obesidade, remetendo à necessidade de maioratenção a esses agravos...

The assessment of nutritional status is very important to devisestrategies to combat malnutrition, overweight and obesity.Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritionalstatus of schoolchildren aged between 7 and 10 years,belonging to state schools in the city of Aracaju / SE. Materialand methods: A total of 487 students were evaluated (237males and 250 females), separated by School Unit (SU). Theage range varied from 7 to 10 years with a mean of 8.75±1.08for boys and 8.72±1.05 for girls. To this end, we elaborated apercentile classification table from the Body Mass Index (BMI),according to the WHO’s standards for malnutrition, eutrophy,overweight and obesity. Data were compared according to thestudents’ gender and ages through analysis of variance withone factor (ANOVA ONE WAY) with significance level of 5%(pd”0.05). Results: As regards BMI, it has been observed thatthere were significant differences in males between the ages7-10 (p=0.00) and 8-10 (p = 0.03), and in females between 7-10 (p= 0.00), 8-10 (p=0.02) and 9-10 years (p=0.02). In theNutritional Status (NS) evaluation, 80.08% of all subjects havebeen found to be eutrophic. It has been observed that 5.13%of the students were included in the malnourished standard,while 15.6% of all students were overweight or obese.Conclusion: We conclude that a considerable number ofstudents were within a certain range of health risk because ofmalnutrition, and especially due to overweight or obesity,addressing the need for bigger attention to those reportablediseases...