ORIGINAL ARTICLE  BODY COMPOSITION, NUTRITION AND SUPPLEMENTATION 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2019 November;59(11):1885-91

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.19.09624-5

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Assessment of trends of nutritional status, central obesity, and growth profile using anthropometric measurements in adolescent athletes from a sport-oriented public school

Fabia A. MASSARANI, Daniela S. CANELLA, Flavia B. BRITO, Marta CITELLI, Josely C. KOURY ✉

Institute of Nutrition, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BACKGROUND: The aims were to evaluate the nutritional status, central adiposity, and physical growth profile of adolescents in a sports-oriented public school (SOPS) and to describe the results considering the Brazilian and American adolescents’ survey studies.
METHODS: This study was a dynamic cohort, performed in 2012-2013 and 2015. 1,082 adolescent athletes (11-16 years old) participated. Anthropometric data (height [H], weight, and waist circumference [WC]) were collected yearly. The nutritional status was assessed using BMI Z-score; trunk fat, using WC and WC/H ratio; and growth, using height z-score. The SOPS results were described considering data from the Brazilian Household Budget Survey (HBS-Southeast region) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Anthropometric data was compared using linear mixed effects regression models, considering sex, age group and time.
RESULTS: Considering height Z-score and BMI Z-score values, none of the adolescents in the SOPS had short stature or underweight, and the obesity prevalence was approximately 1% throughout the study. HBS survey revealed 3.4% of obesity prevalence in adolescents (11-16 years old). Considering age and time, significant differences in WC for both sexes were observed. However, considering NHANES data, our participants were classified in P5-25.
CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the nutritional status of adolescents in the SOPS was good, obesity prevalence was 1% and WC measurement was within P5-25 considering NHANES data. This supports the public policies encouraging involvement in sports at school, which should be one of the priorities in the health promotion agenda, reducing the development of future chronic diseases.

KEY WORDS: Growth and development; Adolescent health; Nutritional status; Trunk adiposity