Prevalence of weigth excess and associated factors in adult subjects attending a basic healthcare unit <b>[Abstract in English]</b>

Abstract

Aims: To identify the prevalence of weight excess and its associated factors in patients from a basic healthcare Unit from Nova Prata, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods: A cross-sectional study with secondary data was performed. The sample was a non probabilistic convenience sampling consisting in adult individuals, who were seen between November 2005 and November 2006. Data about age, gender, education, morbidity and body mass index (BMI) were taken from medical records. Overweight and obesity were defined as a BMI of 25.0-29.9 kg/m2 and ≥30 kg/m2, respectively. In subjects older than 65 years, overweight was defined as BMI >27,0 kg/m2. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests and multivariate analysis with an hierarchized model were used for statistical analysis. The level of significance was 5%. Results: Two hundred and five patients between 20 and 69 years-old were included. The prevalence of weight excess (overweight and obesity) was 91.67%, and for this variable, there was no significant difference between sexes. Also, the other variables did not show significant association with the outcome. The univariate analysis showed higher risk of weight excess for those who were married and had up to eight years of education. The higher prevalence of weight excess was found among 50-59 years-old individuals. Conclusions: The prevalence of weight excess was high. Lack of adequate records and the small sample size precluded significant associations between variables and outcome. In order to make better associations, it is necessary to improve the standardization of data in the medical and nutritional charts of the basic healthcare units and further studies are required.