Body composition, exercise and food intake of students of elementary and high school

Abstract

The current study purpose is to evaluate the level of physical activity, the quality of school’s snack and the composition of students body’s from elementary and high school. In the studied 441 students were evaluate (219 male and 222 female), and average age 11,6+/-3 years. It was applied International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), that determines the time spent in minutes per week doing physical activities, classifying the students as sedentary, insufficiently active and very active. It was measured weight and heigh for the BMI calculation. Triciptal skinfold (TSF) and the arm’s circumference was measureds between acromium and olecranum, used to calculate the muscular area of the arm’s (MAA). The circumference of the waist was classified according to percentis. The intake of the school snack was evaluated by a frequency questionnaire and dietary recalls, it was calculated by software NutWin v.1.5. Excess of weight (>P85) was observed in 31% of the students (28% female e 33% male), with physical inactivity present in 60% (n=265) of the students. About 58% (n=235) had presented abdominal hiperadiposity (>P75, 59% female, 41% male) and the MAA was presented below of the P5 in 27% (n=118) of the pupils. The school snack contains 31±17% of lipids, 62±21% of carbohydrate and 8±6% of protein. The school snack is rich in sodium (410±348mg) and poor in fibers (2±2g), with lipidic distribution below of recommendation for poliinsaturated (5±5%) and in accordance with the recommendation for saturated and monoinsaturated (8±7% and 12±9%, respectively). Therefore, the excess of adiposity, sedentary lifestyle serve of alert schools provide programs of physical exercise and alimentary education.