COMUNICACIONES

SYMPOSIUM EXERNET. Investigación en Ejercicio y Salud: Presente y Futuro en España.
Granada, 7-8 de Noviembre de 2014

Socioeconomic Factors and Abdominal Obesity in European and Brazilian Adolescents: data from Two Observational Studies

E.C.O. Forkert^a,b, A.C.F. de Moraes^a,b,c, H.B. Carvalho^a, A. Kafatos^e, D. Jiménez-Pavón^b,f, K. Widhalm^g, F. Gottrand^h,i, S. Gómez-Martínez^j, O. Androutsos^k, M. Ferrari^l, D. Cañada^m and L.A. Moreno^b,c,d

^aschool of Medicine of the University of São Paulo - Department of Preventive Medicine, São Paulo/SP, Brazil
^bGENUD - Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development, University of Zaragoza, UNIZAR /Spain
^cFaculty of Health Sciences of the University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza/Spain
^dVisiting Professor, School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo - Department of Preventive Medicine, São Paulo/SP, Brazil
^ePreventive Medicine and Nutrition Unit, University of Crete School of Medicine, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
^fPROFITH Group, Department of Physical Education and Sports,School of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
^gDivision of Nutrition and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics,Medical University of Vienna,Vienna, Austria
^hUnité Inserm U995 and Université Lille Nord de France, Lille, France
ⁱCentre d'Investigation Clinique,CIC-9301 - Inserm - CH&U, Lille, France
^jImmunonutrition Research Group. Department of Metabolism and Nutrition. Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition (ICTAN). Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
^kDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece
^lCRA-NUT,Agricultural Research Council - Food and Nutrition Research Centre, Rome, Italy
^mImFine Research Group,Universidad Politécnica de Madrid
Correo electrónico: elsie@centerlink.com.br (E.C.O. Forkert).

Key words: Adolescents. Abdominal obesity. Socioeconomic status. Waist circumference. Waist to height. Cross-sectional study.

Objectives. This study aimed to different socioeconomic indicators as parental education, and occupation, and Family Affluence Scale (FAS), related to abdominal obesity in adolescents from two observational studies, HELENA and BRACAH.
Methods. Brazilian (n = 991, 54.5% girls aged 14-18y, BRACAH study) and European (n = 3528, 52.3% girls aged 12.5-17.5y, HELENA study) participant adolescents were recruited in two cross-sectional studies. From the total number (n = 3528) of adolescents studied in HELENA, we included in this analysis 3192, 53.1% girls. Adolescents with complete information on waist circumference (WC), height, socioeconomic status indicators and confounding variables (center, physical activity and sedentary behavior) were included. Socioeconomic indicators were measured through a self-reported questionnaire in order to assess the family social status from the adolescents. Multilevel linear regression models were used and results were adjusted for potential confounders.
Results. In European girls, mother's and father's education levels were inversely associated with waist to height ratio (p < 0.0001). Waist to height ratio (WHtR) was 0.42, when fathers and mothers had the highest level of education and 0.45 when they had the lowest level. The same inversely association was observed in European girls between FAS and WHtR, (p = 0.0112) that showed 0.43 when they had the highest level of FAS and, 0.44 when the level was the lowest. However, this association was not observed between FAS and WC. Similarly, the inverse association was observed in European girls, when evaluating the relationship between parental education and WC. On the highest level of mother's education, WC was 69.3 cm (p = 0.0099) and for father's education was 69.2 cm (p = 0.0014). There was not any association in boys and when considering parent's occupation.
Conclusions. In European adolescent girls, abdominal obesity (WC and WHtR) was associated with the education levels of the parents. Health promotion programs aiming to reduce abdominal obesity should give special consideration to low education level families.