OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of excess weight and the factors associated with its occurrence in adolescents enrolled at public schools in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 269 adolescents of both sexes aged 10 to 14 years. Questionnaires were administered to collect data on dietary intake, sexual maturity, physical activity level and demographic characteristics. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of excess weight was 35.7% for the boys and 26.2% for the girls. Factors significantly associated with excess weight were only identified for the girls, among whom it was found that being in the 2nd tertile for carbohydrate intake (adjusted Odds Ratio [OR]: 0.28) and the accelerating/peak growth phase (adjusted OR: 0.37) were protective factors against excess weight . CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study reveal a worrying prevalence of excess weight among the adolescents studied. The accelerating/peak growth phase and high carbohydrate intake were identified as protective factors against excess weight for the girls. It is, however, suggested that the second of these be treated with caution since this link has not been detected in other studies.
nutritional status; adolescent; regression analysis
