Associação entre excesso de peso e práticas de atividade física em crianças residentes em municípios da Amazônia legal, Mato Grosso

Abstract

Childhood obesity has increased over the past three decades its prevalence substantially. It is estimated that about 170 million children worldwide are overweight. Regular physical activity provides health benefits for kids with epidemiological evidence on growth, weight control, and psychological and social well-being Objectives: To analyze the association between overweight and physical activity in children living in cities of Amazonia, Mato Grosso Methods: The present investigation consisted of a study of cross-sectional population based on a sample of 324 children aged 5-9 years living in the urban area of Alta Floresta, Diamantino, Sinop and Sorriso, in 2007 demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral, and physical activity variables were obtained through home interviews with parents / guardians of children and were analyzed in the survey module in Stata version 11 program. Results: the prevalence of overweight was 24.14%. Among children it was observed that the activity was more frequent leisure cycling (57.22%) and playing soccer (44.12%). It was found that 60.62% of children were playing at home or on the street actively 49.68% shifted walk from home to school, 14.53% practiced as a domestic activity, cleaning the yard. Overweight was more prevalent in male children, under the age equal to seven years and those that do not will walk to school (30.55%). Conclusion: The prevalence of overweight in this study was high. Children under age and equal to seven years of age, boys and those moving walk to school had higher prevalence of overweight. There is need for action in the control of childhood obesity in the cities studied, monitoring for early detection and prevention of health problems during their lifetime. Adopting healthy lifestyle practices including physical activity and nutrition education are essential strategies for the control of overweight.