Dietary Behaviors and Physical Activity in Brazilian Adolescents: Prevalence and Associated Factors According to the National Survey of School Heath, 2015–2019
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55892/jrg.v9i20.3170Keywords:
Adolescent, Healthy lifestyle, Sedentary behavior, Feeding behavior, Noncommunicable diseasesAbstract
Objective: To analyze the profile of dietary intake, physical activity, and associated factors among Brazilian adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from the National Survey of School Health 2015 and 2019, including adolescents aged 13–17 years enrolled in public and private schools. The prevalence of adequacy for dietary markers, physical activity time, and overall lifestyle was estimated. Overall lifestyle was defined as the simultaneous adequacy of diet and physical activity time. Poisson regression models were used to estimate associations between dietary markers and physical activity time with sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Results: A 23.6% increase was observed in the adequacy of the low consumption of unhealthy foods marker, alongside a 20.0% reduction in the adequacy of the healthy eating marker. Adequacy of physical activity time decreased by 39.1% among females, whereas it increased by 26.9% among males. The prevalence of an adequate overall lifestyle remained below 5% in both years. Poorer dietary outcomes were associated with high daily screen time, eating meals during other digital activities, and non-adherence to school meals. Low physical activity time was associated with high daily screen time. Conclusion: There was a worsening of dietary habits and physical activity practice, with low adherence to an adequate overall lifestyle. These findings highlight the need for strategies aimed at promoting healthy habits and reducing behaviors associated with the development of chronic diseases in this age group.
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