OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the anthropometric status of patients with prostate cancer, focusing specifically on the determination of the proportion of excess weight and obesity and the risk of developing chronic diseases. METHODS: This descriptive study included 220 men with a diagnosis of prostate cancer attending a referral center in Ceará, Brazil, from March to August 2006. A semi-structured form was used to obtain the patients´ demographic and socioeconomic data and average weight before diagnosis. Height, weight and waist circumference were measured. Current and previous body mass indices were calculated to determine nutritional status according to the World Health Organization's criteria. Waist circumference was also classified according to the WHO's criteria. The two-sample paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare the distributions of previous and current weight and body mass index. RESULTS: The current proportion of excess weight and obesity in the studied patients were 53.64% and 15.0% respectively and the previous prevalences were 54.23% and 15.92% respectively. There was no significant statistical difference over time (p=0.710). Most patients (61.28%) were at high risk of developing chronic diseases. CONCLUSION: The high current and previous prevalences of excess weight and obesity associated with abdominal obesity are risk factors for chronic diseases.
Anthropometry; Prostatic neoplasm; Obesity; Body Weight
