Prevalence of obesity and overweight among the college students of the campus of health sciences of the university of Pernambuco

Abstract

The high prevalence of overweight and obesity is presented, currently, as one of the most important problems of public health. Objective: first to calculate the prevalence of obesity and overweight in the adolescent college students of the campus of health and sciences of the University of PE; to identify them according to: sex, age, monthly familiar income and life style. Methods: epidemiologic study and description, quantitative transversal line with characteristics. The population who took part in the study was constituted by 5680 college students aged between 18 and 22. Results: the prevalence of overweight and obesity was 6.2% in the men and in the women 4%. 41.7% of the university students said to have at least one relative with the problem of obesity. 62.5% were used to consuming balanced meals. The sedentarism is present in 41, 2% of the adolescents. Conclusion: obesity is present in 1,2% of the 240 college students and that the overweight condition occurs in 9,2%, this clinical condition reaches global epidemic ratios and it is present in all the social-economic classes and ages.