Lifestyle associated risk factors in adolescents

Prevalência de hipertensão arterial e fatores associados em estudantes de Ensino Médio de escolas públicas da Região Metropolitana do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil, 2006

O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar a prevalência de hipertensão arterial sistêmica e fatores associados à saúde em adolescentes, por meio de estudo epidemiológico transversal de base populacional, realizado no período de abril a setembro de 2006, empregando amostragem estratificada segundo porte da escola e turnos. Utilizando-se o questionário Global School-based Student Health Survey, 1.878 estudantes de 29 escolas públicas da Região Metropolitana do Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil, foram investigados quanto a: idade; sexo; índice de massa corporal; consumo de frutas, verduras, álcool e tabaco; e pressão arterial, admitindo os parâmetros da Task Force Report on High Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescent, de 1996, para pressão arterial, do Centers for Disease Control and Prevention para estado nutricional. As prevalências de hipertensão arterial (medida apenas uma vez), sobrepeso e obesidade igualaram-se a 17,3%, 6,9% e 3,7%, respectivamente. Comportaram-se como fatores associados para hipertensão arterial: sexo masculino, obesidade, sobrepeso e falta de atividade física. Concluiu-se que o conhecimento dos fatores associados para hipertensão arterial em adolescentes poderá subsidiar campanhas de educação para a saúde.

Health-promoting lifestyle and body mass index among College of Nursing students in Kuwait: a correlational study

This cross-sectional, descriptive survey of 202 nursing students in Kuwait assessed their body mass index and health-promoting lifestyle to determine any association between them. The body mass index was calculated by dividing the weight by the height squared (kg/m(2)). The health-promoting lifestyle was measured using Walker's Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II instrument. The participants had a normal body mass index with a tendency towards being overweight and obese, particularly for the males. The students also had a low positive health-promoting lifestyle. A significant association was noted between the sociodemographic variables, particularly age, marital status, and nationality, with the body mass index and Walker's Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile. A significant relationship was established between the body mass index and the overall Walker's Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile and the nutrition subcategory. The findings warranted interventions for improved health behaviors and implied the need for the integration of healthy lifestyle programs into the nursing curricula to meet the escalating demands of the students' role in health promotion and disease prevention.

Correlates of current cigarette smoking among school-going adolescents in Punjab, India: results from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey 2003

Background

Smoking is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally. There is therefore need to identify relevant factors associated with smoking among adolescents in order to better tailor public health interventions aimed at preventing smoking.

Methods

We used data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) conducted in 2003 in Punjab, India, on 2014 adolescents of whom 58.9% were males. We conducted a weighted logistic regression analysis, adjusting for age and sex, to determine associations between predictor variables and current tobacco smoking status.

Results

A total of 2014 adolescents participated in the survey in 2003, and of these 58.9% were males. Male respondents tended to be older than females (21.2% of males, and 13.1% of females were of age 16 years or above). The percent of males and females in the other age groups were: 23.0% and 28.6% for <14 years, 27.3% and 31.0% for 14 years, and 28.4% and 27.0% for 15 years, respectively. The following factors were positively associated with smoking: adolescents who received pocket money; adolescents who had parents who smoked, chewed or applied tobacco; adolescents who said that boys or girls who smoke or chew tobacco have more friends; adolescents who said that smoking or chewing tobacco makes boys look less attractive; adolescents who said that there is no difference in weight between smokers and non-smokers; adolescents who said that smoking makes one gain weight; and adolescents who had most or all of their closest friends who smoked. The factors that were negatively associated with smoking were: adolescents who said that boys or girls who smoke or chew tobacco have less number of friends; adolescents who said that girls who smoke or chew tobacco are less attractive; and adolescents who had some of their closest friends who smoked.

Conclusion

The observed associations between current smoking on one hand and peer smoking, and perception that boys who smoke are less attractive on the other, deserve further studies. The factors reported in the current study should be considered in the design of public health interventions aimed to reduce adolescent cigarette smoking.