NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY OF STUDENTS FROM NORTHEAST BRAZIL

Introduction: Obesity is considered a worldwide epidemic that is related to the food and physical activity profile. In Brazil, overweight affects about a third of children aged five to nine years and 25% of adolescents. Objecives: The objective of the present study was to trace the anthropometric profile of students from a capital city in the Northeast of Brazil. Methods: It was a cross-sectional and descriptive study conducted in public schools. The work was approved by the research ethics committee of the State University. Data on weight, height, waist circumference and fat percentage were collected using bioelectrical impedance, and BMI was calculated for the age of 327 participants (100 children and 227 adolescents) from public schools in the city of Fortaleza/ Ceará, Brazil. The level of physical activity was also assessed using the international physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ). Results: Just over half (50.46%) of participants were female. Most children and adolescents were eutrophic (57.49%) and high values of overweight were found in both sexes: 37.04% of boys and 40% of girls. Waist circumference was adequate in all participants. The percentage of fat was moderately high (25.99%) for female adolescents. As for the level of physical activity, 41.40% of the participants were active and 49.50% were irregularly active and sedentary. Sedentary lifestyle predominated in female. Conclusions: Thus, the study observed mostly eutrophic of participants. However, an increased frequency of overweight, without deposition of abdominal fat but with high total fat was observed. Lifestyle sedentary in female adolescents.