Prevalence and associated factors of overweight in adults of rural Brazilian Amazonia

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nutritional situation of rural adults in the Brazilian Amazon. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight and waist circumference) were taken from all participants. BMI was calculated. Dietary intake was assessed by 24 h recall and food patterns were assessed by food frequency questionnaires (FFQ). Energy expenditure was calculated from the resting metabolic rate multiplied by an activity factor based on physical activity. Linear regression was applied to assess variables associated to BMI. Participants of the study comprised 58 men and 50 women. The mean (± standard deviation) age of the study population was 44.0 ± 12 years for women and 47.0 ± 15.0 year for men. The BMI for normal weight men was 22.16 ± 1.57 whereas for the overweight group was 28.33 ± 2.58 kg. Overweight and obese adults together comprise 60.2% of the study sample and therefore were considered as one group. Normal weight individuals had higher values of PAL (physical activity level) than overweight persons for both sex. There was no statistical difference between the groups concerning the intake of protein, kilocalories from protein and percentage of energy from protein. The physical activity level of participants describes a sedentary profile for women in the rural communities for both groups. The food pattern of surveyed people is based on rice, beans and meat as daily food. The prevalence of overweight and obesity altogether is comparable to that reported by other studies for Brazilian rural areas. The dietetic assessment revealed that energy expenditure was significantly different between normal weight and overweight women. Physical activity was shown to be a relevant factor for overweight in the two rural communities. The food pattern of the two communities expresses a monotonous diet.