Virgilio Ramires - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Virgilio Ramires
A pratica de atividades fisicas tem sido apontada como importante fator de prevencao ao desenvolv... more A pratica de atividades fisicas tem sido apontada como importante fator de prevencao ao desenvolvimento de doencas cronicas. No entanto, diversos estudos demonstram que a proporcao de pessoas na condicao de sedentarias esta aumentando. Em virtude disso, a promocao de ambientes favoraveis a pratica de atividades fisicas no trabalho torna-se importante, tendo em vista a quantidade de tempo gasta pelos sujeitos em suas jornadas de trabalho. Objetivo: Realizar um diagnostico das empresas da industria de Pelotas quanto ao oferecimento, facilitacao e incentivo a pratica de atividades fisicas dos seus trabalhadores. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo observacional de delineamento transversal. A amostra foi obtida do banco de dados das empresas cadastradas nos sindicatos filiados ao Centro das Industrias de Pelotas (CIPEL) e complementarmente pelo banco de dados da Editora Brasileira de Guias Especiais (EBGE). Foi aplicado um questionario a um representante da direcao da empresa para avalia...
Cadernos de Saúde Pública
Lower socioeconomic level is positively related to multimorbidity and it is possible that the clu... more Lower socioeconomic level is positively related to multimorbidity and it is possible that the clustering of health conditions carries the same association. The aim of this study was to identify prevalence of multimorbidity and clusters of health conditions among elderly, as well the underlying socioeconomic inequalities. This was a cross-sectional population-based study carried out with 60-year-old individuals. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of 2+, 3+, 4+ or 5+ health conditions in the same individual. Schooling levels and the National Economic Index were used to investigate inequalities in the prevalence of multimorbidities among elderly. Slope and concentration indexes of inequality were used to evaluate absolute and relative differences. A factorial analysis was performed to identify disease clusters. In every ten older adults, about nine, eight, seven and six presented, respectvely, 2+, 3+, 4+ and 5+ health conditions. Three clusters of health conditions were found, ...
PloS one, 2018
The purpose of the study was to identify and compare validity parameters of different absolute in... more The purpose of the study was to identify and compare validity parameters of different absolute intensity thresholds in METs, using relative intensity classification as criterion measure. Convenience sampling was used to recruit total of 112 adults. The participants carried out an incremental maximal cycle ergometer test and asked to perform nine free-living activities. The oxygen uptake was measured by a VO2000® gas analyser throughout the tests. The intensity thresholds were identified using Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, having relative intensity categories as criterion measure. A total of 103 participants attended the two visits. Among 54 men and 49 women, the mean (± SD) ages were 36.1 (± 11.1) and 33.9 (± 10.6) years, respectively. The intensity thresholds identified were 4.9 METs for moderate and 6.8 METs for vigorous physical activity. In conclusion, the physical activity thresholds, generated according to the entire sample, were higher and presented i...
Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 2017
Resumo: O objetivo do estudo foi descrever a simultaneidade de fatores de risco para doenças crôn... more Resumo: O objetivo do estudo foi descrever a simultaneidade de fatores de risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis em idosos (60 anos ou mais), residentes em uma cidade do Sul do Brasil. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, de base populacional, realizado em 1.451 idosos em 2013. Com uma abordagem de análise de clusters, foi avaliado o agrupamento entre os fatores de risco em estudo (tabagismo, consumo de álcool, excesso de peso e inatividade física). Para a avaliação da associação da simultaneidade dos fatores de risco com variáveis sociodemográficas, foi utilizada regressão logística. O agrupamento mais frequente entre os homens (18,1%) e mulheres (30,7%) foi inatividade física + excesso de peso. As combinações consumo de álcool + excesso de peso excederam o esperado entre os homens (O/E = 1,27; IC95%: 1,01; 1,59) e mulheres (O/E = 1,72; IC95%: 1,35; 2,20). A presença de dois ou mais fatores de risco na população idosa (88,1%) aponta para a necessidade de intervenções específi...
The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, Feb 2, 2017
Low levels of physical activity are currently observed in all age groups around the world. Among ... more Low levels of physical activity are currently observed in all age groups around the world. Among older adults physical activity is even lower, potentially influencing quality of life, incidence of diseases and premature mortality. The aim of this study was to describe objectively measured physical activity levels among older adults residents in a Southern city of Brazil. A population-based study was carried out including people aged 60+ years living in the urban area of Pelotas. Face-to-face interviews, anthropometric measures and triaxial accelerometry (non-dominant wrist) were used to collect sociodemographic, anthropometric and physical activity, respectively. For descriptive purposes, overall physical activity was expressed as daily averages of acceleration. Time spent in light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) using different bout criteria (non-bouted, and in 1-, 5- and 10-min bouts) were calculated. Crude and adjusted analyses were perfo...
Background: Adolescence is a period of accelerated development and increases in body composition.... more Background: Adolescence is a period of accelerated development and increases in body composition. Physical activity (PA) practice has been associated with the development of major components of body composition (bone, muscle and fat). However, the longitudinal effects of PA of different intensities during adolescence are still not well understood. Thus, the main goal this study has investigate the association between practice of moderate-and vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout adolescence and body composition, specifically lean mass (LM) and fat mass (FM), at age 18. Methods: In this cohort study, physical activity was measured at 11, 15 and 18 years, using questionnaires. Thresholds of 300, 150 and 75 min per week, were used for MVPA, moderate-and vigorous-intensity physical activity, respectively. Consistent physical activity was defined as reaching the thresholds at the three follow-ups. FM and LM at age 18 were assessed by DXA and expressed as fat mass (FMI) and lean mass (LMI) indexes. To verify the association between the trajectories of MVPA, moderate-and vigorous-intensity physical activity in adolescence and FM and LM at 18, multivariate analyses were performed through multiple linear regressions adjusted for co-variables.
Background: Physical activity (PA) practice has been inversely associated to body fat (BF) and re... more Background: Physical activity (PA) practice has been inversely associated to body fat (BF) and recommended as a way to reduce and prevent obesity. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the association of PA and BF in adolescence. Methods: The review includes 18 longitudinal studies found in the PubMed database, comprising papers published from January 1990 to July 2014. Studies assessing BF only through body mass index were excluded. Results: Among the outcomes analyzed, waist circumference, skinfolds, and absolute and relative fat mass measurement were identified. Questionnaires were the more predominant way to evaluate PA. Most studies showed that PA promotes a protective effect against a higher BF gain. Conclusion: It was concluded that PA has a protective effect against BF with differences between the genders and according to the BF marker or measurement assessed; higher intensity PA leads to a greater effect against BF gain in both genders; and the maintenance or increase of PA level on BF observed through analysis of change in PA level yielded more consistent findings in the relation between PA and BF.
International journal of epidemiology, 2014
Data on objectively measured physical activity are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. T... more Data on objectively measured physical activity are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to describe objectively measured overall physical activity and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in individuals from the Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohorts, according to weight status, socioeconomic status (SES) and sex. All children born in 1982, 1993 and 2004 in hospitals in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, constitute the sampling frame; of these 99% agreed to participate. The most recent follow-ups were conducted between 2010 and 2013. In total, 8974 individuals provided valid data derived from raw triaxial wrist accelerometry. The average acceleration is presented in milli-g (1 mg = 0.001g), and time (min/d) spent in MVPA (>100 mg) is presented in 5- and 10-min bouts. Mean acceleration in the 1982 (mean age 30.2 years), 1993 (mean age 18.4 years) and 2004 (mean age 6.7 years) cohorts was 35 mg, 39 mg and 60 mg, respectively. Time spent in...
Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 2014
To evaluate the longitudinal association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of age an... more To evaluate the longitudinal association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of age and the incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years of age. Individuals born in the city of Pelotas, Brazil in 1993 have been followed up since birth. At 11 and 15 years of age, mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). At 11 years of age, physical activity was assessed through a validated questionnaire. The continuous SDQ score at 15 years was used as the outcome variable. The main exposure was physical activity behavior at 11 years of age divided into three categories (0, 1-299, ≥300 min/wk). The incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years was 13.6% (95%CI 12.4; 14.9). At 11 years, 35.2% of the adolescents achieved 300 min/wk of physical activity. In the unadjusted analysis, physical activity was inversely related to mental health problems (p=0.04). After adjustment for confounders, the association was no longer significant in the whole sample, but was still significant among boys. Physical activity appears to be inversely related to mental health problems in adolescence, but the magnitude of the association is weak to moderate.
Revista Brasileira de Ciências do Esporte, 2014
RESUMO O estudo objetivou descrever fatores de risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DC... more RESUMO O estudo objetivou descrever fatores de risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT) em estudantes de Educação Física ingressantes e formandos. Foi conduzido estudo transversal com 54 estudantes (34 alunos ingressantes e 20 formandos) do curso de graduação em Educação Física da Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Foram coletadas variáveis antropométricas, funcionais e bioquímicas. Estudantes formandos apresentaram menores médias de circunferência da cintura, razão cintura-quadril, pressão arterial sistólica de repouso e glicemia, e maiores de colesterol LDL e razão colesterol total/HDLc. Concluímos
Revista Brasileira de Atividade Física & Saúde, 2013
Evidence shows that physically active individuals have lower risk of developing chronic diseases.... more Evidence shows that physically active individuals have lower risk of developing chronic diseases. Despite that, the rate of physical inactivity is high. Difficult access and lack of time are mostly reported as barriers to engaging in physical activity. The workplace is a key setting for physical activity promotion among employees. This study aimed to describe the physical environments and incentives for non-occupational physical activities offered to employees of local industry companies in the city of Pelotas, southern Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample drawn from the Pelotas Center for Businesses (CIPEL) and the Brazilian Special Guides Publisher (EBGE) databases. Companies with more than 20 employees were eligible to participate in the study. The final sample consisted of 81 companies and information was collected through a questionnaire applied to the participating company's business representative. It was found that 12.4% of the companies had physical environments for physical activity at the workplace, 9.9% had spaces for indoor sports, 91.4% had showering facilities and locker rooms, 12.4% offered health club discounts and 16.0% subsidized memberships to health clubs and gyms. Participation in employee team sports was reported in 37.0% of the companies; it was the most common physical activity especially among male employees. In conclusion, local Pelotas companies did not offer their employees adequate spaces for non-occupational physical activity. However, the availability of physical environments such as showering facilities and locker rooms opens up great opportunities for active commuting to work.
Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 2013
International journal of epidemiology, 2014
Data on objectively measured physical activity are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. T... more Data on objectively measured physical activity are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to describe objectively measured overall physical activity and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in individuals from the Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohorts, according to weight status, socioeconomic status (SES) and sex. All children born in 1982, 1993 and 2004 in hospitals in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, constitute the sampling frame; of these 99% agreed to participate. The most recent follow-ups were conducted between 2010 and 2013. In total, 8974 individuals provided valid data derived from raw triaxial wrist accelerometry. The average acceleration is presented in milli-g (1 mg = 0.001g), and time (min/d) spent in MVPA (>100 mg) is presented in 5- and 10-min bouts. Mean acceleration in the 1982 (mean age 30.2 years), 1993 (mean age 18.4 years) and 2004 (mean age 6.7 years) cohorts was 35 mg, 39 mg and 60 mg, respectively. Time spent in...
Journal of physical activity & health, 2010
Physical fitness is strongly associated with several positive health indicators among adolescents... more Physical fitness is strongly associated with several positive health indicators among adolescents. However, its association with body mass index status is inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore the association between overweight/obesity and physical fitness among children and adolescents. The design consisted of a cross-sectional study comprising 519 Brazilian students age 7 to 15 years. BMI status was assessed according to sex- and age-specific growth charts. Physical fitness was assessed using 8 tests: sit-and-reach, stationary long jump, 1-minute curl-up, modified pull-up, medicine-ball throw, 9-minute run, 20-m run, and 4-m shuttle-run. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 24% and 12%, respectively. Boys performed better than girls in all tests, except flexibility. Normal weight students performed better than overweight and obese students in all tests, except the sit-and-reach and the medicine-ball throw. Cardiorespiratory fitness had the strongest association wi...
Aim: To evaluate the longitudinal association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of a... more Aim: To evaluate the longitudinal association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of age and the incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years of age. Methods: Individuals born in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, in 1993 have been followed up since birth. At 11 and 15 years of age, mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). At 11 years of age, physical activity was assessed through a validated questionnaire. The continuous SDQ score at 15 years was used as the outcome variable. The main exposure was physical activity behavior at 11 years of age divided into 3 categories (0, 1–299, ≥300 min/wk). Results: The incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years was 13.6% (95% CI, 12.4–14.9). At 11 years, 35.2% of the adolescents achieved 300 min/wk of physical activity. In the unadjusted analysis, physical activity was inversely related to mental health problems (P = .04). After adjustment for confounders, the association was no longer significant in the whole sample but was still significant among boys. Conclusion: Physical activity appears to be inversely related to mental health problems in adolescence, but the magnitude of the association is weak to moderate. Methods All children born in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, in 1993 were eligible to be part of a birth cohort study; only 16 mothers refused to take part. The cohort included 5,249 participants. Subsamples of these children took part in several follow-up visits throughout infancy (1, 3, 6, and 12 months of age) and childhood (48 months of age). Further details about the methods employed are available elsewhere. 10,11 At 11 and 15 years of age, for the first time, we attempted to follow up all cohort members after the visits to subsamples during infancy and childhood. We were able to successfully locate 87.5% and 85.7% of the adolescents at 11 and 15 years of age, respectively. In both visits, separate questionnaires were administered to the adolescents and their mothers (or guardians in the ~5% of the cases of absence of the mother). The maternal questionnaire investigated issues related to family composition, family income, and maternal and paternal job, as well as questions about maternal leisure-time physical activity. The questionnaire administered for the adolescent focused on behavioral and health variables. Mental health was assessed in both visits using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), 12,13 which was filled by mothers (or guardians). The instrument comprises 25 questions divided into 5 subscales (Emotional Symptoms, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity/Inattention, Peer Relationship Problems, Prosocial Behavior). A total score was later constructed as the sum of all subscales, ranging from 0 to 40 points. A cutoff point of 17 points in the score was used to define adolescents with mental health problems at the age of 11 years. The continuous score was used as the outcome variable in all analyses. The validity of the SDQ questionnaire administered to parents was tested in a sample of 403 children; SDQ presented correlations of 0.78 to 0.88 with the Rutter Scale, despite being considerably shorter. 12 Physical activity at 11 years of age was assessed by self-report. A pretested and validated questionnaire was administered to the Mental health has been increasingly recognized as a major public health priority. 1 Mental health disorders affect people from all ages and socioeconomic positions. 2 Data from the World Health Organization suggest that around 20% of children and adolescents worldwide present mental health disorders, 3 such as conduct problems , drug dependence, risk of suicide, depression, and anxiety. Mental health problems can significantly affect quality of life of children and adolescents and tend to persist into adulthood. 4 A study on the burden of disease in Brazil showed that 19% of the disability adjusted life years related to chronic disease are due to mental health problems. 1 Another study in the South of the country showed than 26.8% of the adolescents present any type of mental health disorder. 5 The possible influence of physical activity behavior on mental health has been studied over the past decades. 6–8 A review reported an inverse association between physical activity and mental health disorders, albeit the magnitude of the effect was found to be weak to moderate and several studies were cross-sectional, thus impeding the analyses of temporality. 8 Also, most studies on this topic were carried out in high-income countries where the nature of physical activity behavior might differ from that observed in low and middle-income countries, therefore leading to different health effects. Adolescence is a particularly relevant period of time for studies on this topic because several studies report a decline in physical activity levels throughout adolescence, particularly among girls. 9 Our study evaluates the association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of age and the incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years of age using data from a birth cohort study in Brazil.
Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 2014
Physical activity (PA) practice has been inversely associated to body fat (BF) and recommended as... more Physical activity (PA) practice has been inversely associated to body fat (BF) and recommended as a way to reduce and prevent obesity. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the association of PA and BF in adolescence. The review includes 18 longitudinal studies found in PubMed database, comprising papers published from January 1990 to July 2014. Studies assessing BF only through body mass index (BMI) were excluded. Among the outcomes analyzed, waist circumference, skinfolds, and absolute and relative fat mass measurement were identified. Questionnaires were the way more predominant to evaluate PA. Most studies showed that PA promotes a protective effect against a higher BF gain. It was concluded that: PA has a protective effect against BF with differences between the genders and according to the BF marker or measurement assessed; higher intensity PA leads to a greater effect against BF gain in both genders; and the maintenance or increase of PA level on BF observed through analysis of change in PA level yielded more consistent findings in the relation between PA and BF.
Revista de Saúde Pública, 2007
Evolution of the epidemiological research on physical activity in Brazil: a systematic review RES... more Evolution of the epidemiological research on physical activity in Brazil: a systematic review RESUMO OBJETIVO: Descrever a evolução da pesquisa epidemiológica em atividade física no Brasil.
Revista Brasileira de Atividade Física & Saúde, 2014
Evolution of the epidemiologic physical activity and sedentary behavior research in Brazil: updat... more Evolution of the epidemiologic physical activity and sedentary behavior research in Brazil: update of a systematic review Resumo O objetivo desta revisão foi atualizar a evolução da produção científica em epidemiologia da atividade física no Brasil. Também buscamos verificar a distribuição geográfica das pesquisas e a evolução do conhecimento conforme os principais domínios que caracterizam a pesquisa em atividade física e saúde. Foi realizada uma busca sistemática da literatura nas bases de dados PubMed, LILACS e SciELO, além de buscas manuais por autores e referências cruzadas. Artigos originais publicados entre 2005 e 2013 foram incluídos contendo um ou mais domínios da atividade física, conhecimento sobre atividade física e/ou comportamento sedentário, com amostra igual ou maior a 500 participantes. Após a síntese descritiva, os estudos foram estratificados conforme localização geográfica, delineamento e domínios de pesquisa na área da atividade física e saúde. A análise final foi feita com 276 estudos. Os dados obtidos demonstraram crescente publicação científica brasileira na área de epidemiologia da atividade física (de 7 para 49 artigos/ano), sendo 82,2% delineados para analisar os determinantes, níveis e tendências temporais e as consequências à saúde da prática regular da atividade física e/ou do prolongamento do comportamento sedentário. No plano regional, houve concentração das pesquisas nas regiões Sul (43,5%) e Sudeste (22,1%) do país e crescimento das publicações provindas da região Nordeste (18,5%), e dos trabalhos com representatividade nacional, ou que envolvem cidades de regiões distintas (12,3%). Foi evidenciada grande evolução no número de publicações brasileiras em epidemiologia da atividade física, apesar de importantes limitações regionais, tipo de delineamento utilizado e dos domínios de pesquisa desenvolvidos.
A pratica de atividades fisicas tem sido apontada como importante fator de prevencao ao desenvolv... more A pratica de atividades fisicas tem sido apontada como importante fator de prevencao ao desenvolvimento de doencas cronicas. No entanto, diversos estudos demonstram que a proporcao de pessoas na condicao de sedentarias esta aumentando. Em virtude disso, a promocao de ambientes favoraveis a pratica de atividades fisicas no trabalho torna-se importante, tendo em vista a quantidade de tempo gasta pelos sujeitos em suas jornadas de trabalho. Objetivo: Realizar um diagnostico das empresas da industria de Pelotas quanto ao oferecimento, facilitacao e incentivo a pratica de atividades fisicas dos seus trabalhadores. Metodologia: Trata-se de um estudo observacional de delineamento transversal. A amostra foi obtida do banco de dados das empresas cadastradas nos sindicatos filiados ao Centro das Industrias de Pelotas (CIPEL) e complementarmente pelo banco de dados da Editora Brasileira de Guias Especiais (EBGE). Foi aplicado um questionario a um representante da direcao da empresa para avalia...
Cadernos de Saúde Pública
Lower socioeconomic level is positively related to multimorbidity and it is possible that the clu... more Lower socioeconomic level is positively related to multimorbidity and it is possible that the clustering of health conditions carries the same association. The aim of this study was to identify prevalence of multimorbidity and clusters of health conditions among elderly, as well the underlying socioeconomic inequalities. This was a cross-sectional population-based study carried out with 60-year-old individuals. Multimorbidity was defined as the presence of 2+, 3+, 4+ or 5+ health conditions in the same individual. Schooling levels and the National Economic Index were used to investigate inequalities in the prevalence of multimorbidities among elderly. Slope and concentration indexes of inequality were used to evaluate absolute and relative differences. A factorial analysis was performed to identify disease clusters. In every ten older adults, about nine, eight, seven and six presented, respectvely, 2+, 3+, 4+ and 5+ health conditions. Three clusters of health conditions were found, ...
PloS one, 2018
The purpose of the study was to identify and compare validity parameters of different absolute in... more The purpose of the study was to identify and compare validity parameters of different absolute intensity thresholds in METs, using relative intensity classification as criterion measure. Convenience sampling was used to recruit total of 112 adults. The participants carried out an incremental maximal cycle ergometer test and asked to perform nine free-living activities. The oxygen uptake was measured by a VO2000® gas analyser throughout the tests. The intensity thresholds were identified using Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, having relative intensity categories as criterion measure. A total of 103 participants attended the two visits. Among 54 men and 49 women, the mean (± SD) ages were 36.1 (± 11.1) and 33.9 (± 10.6) years, respectively. The intensity thresholds identified were 4.9 METs for moderate and 6.8 METs for vigorous physical activity. In conclusion, the physical activity thresholds, generated according to the entire sample, were higher and presented i...
Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 2017
Resumo: O objetivo do estudo foi descrever a simultaneidade de fatores de risco para doenças crôn... more Resumo: O objetivo do estudo foi descrever a simultaneidade de fatores de risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis em idosos (60 anos ou mais), residentes em uma cidade do Sul do Brasil. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, de base populacional, realizado em 1.451 idosos em 2013. Com uma abordagem de análise de clusters, foi avaliado o agrupamento entre os fatores de risco em estudo (tabagismo, consumo de álcool, excesso de peso e inatividade física). Para a avaliação da associação da simultaneidade dos fatores de risco com variáveis sociodemográficas, foi utilizada regressão logística. O agrupamento mais frequente entre os homens (18,1%) e mulheres (30,7%) foi inatividade física + excesso de peso. As combinações consumo de álcool + excesso de peso excederam o esperado entre os homens (O/E = 1,27; IC95%: 1,01; 1,59) e mulheres (O/E = 1,72; IC95%: 1,35; 2,20). A presença de dois ou mais fatores de risco na população idosa (88,1%) aponta para a necessidade de intervenções específi...
The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, Feb 2, 2017
Low levels of physical activity are currently observed in all age groups around the world. Among ... more Low levels of physical activity are currently observed in all age groups around the world. Among older adults physical activity is even lower, potentially influencing quality of life, incidence of diseases and premature mortality. The aim of this study was to describe objectively measured physical activity levels among older adults residents in a Southern city of Brazil. A population-based study was carried out including people aged 60+ years living in the urban area of Pelotas. Face-to-face interviews, anthropometric measures and triaxial accelerometry (non-dominant wrist) were used to collect sociodemographic, anthropometric and physical activity, respectively. For descriptive purposes, overall physical activity was expressed as daily averages of acceleration. Time spent in light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) using different bout criteria (non-bouted, and in 1-, 5- and 10-min bouts) were calculated. Crude and adjusted analyses were perfo...
Background: Adolescence is a period of accelerated development and increases in body composition.... more Background: Adolescence is a period of accelerated development and increases in body composition. Physical activity (PA) practice has been associated with the development of major components of body composition (bone, muscle and fat). However, the longitudinal effects of PA of different intensities during adolescence are still not well understood. Thus, the main goal this study has investigate the association between practice of moderate-and vigorous-intensity physical activity throughout adolescence and body composition, specifically lean mass (LM) and fat mass (FM), at age 18. Methods: In this cohort study, physical activity was measured at 11, 15 and 18 years, using questionnaires. Thresholds of 300, 150 and 75 min per week, were used for MVPA, moderate-and vigorous-intensity physical activity, respectively. Consistent physical activity was defined as reaching the thresholds at the three follow-ups. FM and LM at age 18 were assessed by DXA and expressed as fat mass (FMI) and lean mass (LMI) indexes. To verify the association between the trajectories of MVPA, moderate-and vigorous-intensity physical activity in adolescence and FM and LM at 18, multivariate analyses were performed through multiple linear regressions adjusted for co-variables.
Background: Physical activity (PA) practice has been inversely associated to body fat (BF) and re... more Background: Physical activity (PA) practice has been inversely associated to body fat (BF) and recommended as a way to reduce and prevent obesity. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the association of PA and BF in adolescence. Methods: The review includes 18 longitudinal studies found in the PubMed database, comprising papers published from January 1990 to July 2014. Studies assessing BF only through body mass index were excluded. Results: Among the outcomes analyzed, waist circumference, skinfolds, and absolute and relative fat mass measurement were identified. Questionnaires were the more predominant way to evaluate PA. Most studies showed that PA promotes a protective effect against a higher BF gain. Conclusion: It was concluded that PA has a protective effect against BF with differences between the genders and according to the BF marker or measurement assessed; higher intensity PA leads to a greater effect against BF gain in both genders; and the maintenance or increase of PA level on BF observed through analysis of change in PA level yielded more consistent findings in the relation between PA and BF.
International journal of epidemiology, 2014
Data on objectively measured physical activity are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. T... more Data on objectively measured physical activity are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to describe objectively measured overall physical activity and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in individuals from the Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohorts, according to weight status, socioeconomic status (SES) and sex. All children born in 1982, 1993 and 2004 in hospitals in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, constitute the sampling frame; of these 99% agreed to participate. The most recent follow-ups were conducted between 2010 and 2013. In total, 8974 individuals provided valid data derived from raw triaxial wrist accelerometry. The average acceleration is presented in milli-g (1 mg = 0.001g), and time (min/d) spent in MVPA (>100 mg) is presented in 5- and 10-min bouts. Mean acceleration in the 1982 (mean age 30.2 years), 1993 (mean age 18.4 years) and 2004 (mean age 6.7 years) cohorts was 35 mg, 39 mg and 60 mg, respectively. Time spent in...
Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 2014
To evaluate the longitudinal association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of age an... more To evaluate the longitudinal association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of age and the incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years of age. Individuals born in the city of Pelotas, Brazil in 1993 have been followed up since birth. At 11 and 15 years of age, mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). At 11 years of age, physical activity was assessed through a validated questionnaire. The continuous SDQ score at 15 years was used as the outcome variable. The main exposure was physical activity behavior at 11 years of age divided into three categories (0, 1-299, ≥300 min/wk). The incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years was 13.6% (95%CI 12.4; 14.9). At 11 years, 35.2% of the adolescents achieved 300 min/wk of physical activity. In the unadjusted analysis, physical activity was inversely related to mental health problems (p=0.04). After adjustment for confounders, the association was no longer significant in the whole sample, but was still significant among boys. Physical activity appears to be inversely related to mental health problems in adolescence, but the magnitude of the association is weak to moderate.
Revista Brasileira de Ciências do Esporte, 2014
RESUMO O estudo objetivou descrever fatores de risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DC... more RESUMO O estudo objetivou descrever fatores de risco para doenças crônicas não transmissíveis (DCNT) em estudantes de Educação Física ingressantes e formandos. Foi conduzido estudo transversal com 54 estudantes (34 alunos ingressantes e 20 formandos) do curso de graduação em Educação Física da Universidade Federal de Pelotas. Foram coletadas variáveis antropométricas, funcionais e bioquímicas. Estudantes formandos apresentaram menores médias de circunferência da cintura, razão cintura-quadril, pressão arterial sistólica de repouso e glicemia, e maiores de colesterol LDL e razão colesterol total/HDLc. Concluímos
Revista Brasileira de Atividade Física & Saúde, 2013
Evidence shows that physically active individuals have lower risk of developing chronic diseases.... more Evidence shows that physically active individuals have lower risk of developing chronic diseases. Despite that, the rate of physical inactivity is high. Difficult access and lack of time are mostly reported as barriers to engaging in physical activity. The workplace is a key setting for physical activity promotion among employees. This study aimed to describe the physical environments and incentives for non-occupational physical activities offered to employees of local industry companies in the city of Pelotas, southern Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample drawn from the Pelotas Center for Businesses (CIPEL) and the Brazilian Special Guides Publisher (EBGE) databases. Companies with more than 20 employees were eligible to participate in the study. The final sample consisted of 81 companies and information was collected through a questionnaire applied to the participating company's business representative. It was found that 12.4% of the companies had physical environments for physical activity at the workplace, 9.9% had spaces for indoor sports, 91.4% had showering facilities and locker rooms, 12.4% offered health club discounts and 16.0% subsidized memberships to health clubs and gyms. Participation in employee team sports was reported in 37.0% of the companies; it was the most common physical activity especially among male employees. In conclusion, local Pelotas companies did not offer their employees adequate spaces for non-occupational physical activity. However, the availability of physical environments such as showering facilities and locker rooms opens up great opportunities for active commuting to work.
Cadernos de Saúde Pública, 2013
International journal of epidemiology, 2014
Data on objectively measured physical activity are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. T... more Data on objectively measured physical activity are lacking in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to describe objectively measured overall physical activity and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in individuals from the Pelotas (Brazil) birth cohorts, according to weight status, socioeconomic status (SES) and sex. All children born in 1982, 1993 and 2004 in hospitals in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, constitute the sampling frame; of these 99% agreed to participate. The most recent follow-ups were conducted between 2010 and 2013. In total, 8974 individuals provided valid data derived from raw triaxial wrist accelerometry. The average acceleration is presented in milli-g (1 mg = 0.001g), and time (min/d) spent in MVPA (>100 mg) is presented in 5- and 10-min bouts. Mean acceleration in the 1982 (mean age 30.2 years), 1993 (mean age 18.4 years) and 2004 (mean age 6.7 years) cohorts was 35 mg, 39 mg and 60 mg, respectively. Time spent in...
Journal of physical activity & health, 2010
Physical fitness is strongly associated with several positive health indicators among adolescents... more Physical fitness is strongly associated with several positive health indicators among adolescents. However, its association with body mass index status is inconsistent. The aim of this study was to explore the association between overweight/obesity and physical fitness among children and adolescents. The design consisted of a cross-sectional study comprising 519 Brazilian students age 7 to 15 years. BMI status was assessed according to sex- and age-specific growth charts. Physical fitness was assessed using 8 tests: sit-and-reach, stationary long jump, 1-minute curl-up, modified pull-up, medicine-ball throw, 9-minute run, 20-m run, and 4-m shuttle-run. Prevalence of overweight and obesity was 24% and 12%, respectively. Boys performed better than girls in all tests, except flexibility. Normal weight students performed better than overweight and obese students in all tests, except the sit-and-reach and the medicine-ball throw. Cardiorespiratory fitness had the strongest association wi...
Aim: To evaluate the longitudinal association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of a... more Aim: To evaluate the longitudinal association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of age and the incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years of age. Methods: Individuals born in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, in 1993 have been followed up since birth. At 11 and 15 years of age, mental health was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). At 11 years of age, physical activity was assessed through a validated questionnaire. The continuous SDQ score at 15 years was used as the outcome variable. The main exposure was physical activity behavior at 11 years of age divided into 3 categories (0, 1–299, ≥300 min/wk). Results: The incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years was 13.6% (95% CI, 12.4–14.9). At 11 years, 35.2% of the adolescents achieved 300 min/wk of physical activity. In the unadjusted analysis, physical activity was inversely related to mental health problems (P = .04). After adjustment for confounders, the association was no longer significant in the whole sample but was still significant among boys. Conclusion: Physical activity appears to be inversely related to mental health problems in adolescence, but the magnitude of the association is weak to moderate. Methods All children born in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, in 1993 were eligible to be part of a birth cohort study; only 16 mothers refused to take part. The cohort included 5,249 participants. Subsamples of these children took part in several follow-up visits throughout infancy (1, 3, 6, and 12 months of age) and childhood (48 months of age). Further details about the methods employed are available elsewhere. 10,11 At 11 and 15 years of age, for the first time, we attempted to follow up all cohort members after the visits to subsamples during infancy and childhood. We were able to successfully locate 87.5% and 85.7% of the adolescents at 11 and 15 years of age, respectively. In both visits, separate questionnaires were administered to the adolescents and their mothers (or guardians in the ~5% of the cases of absence of the mother). The maternal questionnaire investigated issues related to family composition, family income, and maternal and paternal job, as well as questions about maternal leisure-time physical activity. The questionnaire administered for the adolescent focused on behavioral and health variables. Mental health was assessed in both visits using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), 12,13 which was filled by mothers (or guardians). The instrument comprises 25 questions divided into 5 subscales (Emotional Symptoms, Conduct Problems, Hyperactivity/Inattention, Peer Relationship Problems, Prosocial Behavior). A total score was later constructed as the sum of all subscales, ranging from 0 to 40 points. A cutoff point of 17 points in the score was used to define adolescents with mental health problems at the age of 11 years. The continuous score was used as the outcome variable in all analyses. The validity of the SDQ questionnaire administered to parents was tested in a sample of 403 children; SDQ presented correlations of 0.78 to 0.88 with the Rutter Scale, despite being considerably shorter. 12 Physical activity at 11 years of age was assessed by self-report. A pretested and validated questionnaire was administered to the Mental health has been increasingly recognized as a major public health priority. 1 Mental health disorders affect people from all ages and socioeconomic positions. 2 Data from the World Health Organization suggest that around 20% of children and adolescents worldwide present mental health disorders, 3 such as conduct problems , drug dependence, risk of suicide, depression, and anxiety. Mental health problems can significantly affect quality of life of children and adolescents and tend to persist into adulthood. 4 A study on the burden of disease in Brazil showed that 19% of the disability adjusted life years related to chronic disease are due to mental health problems. 1 Another study in the South of the country showed than 26.8% of the adolescents present any type of mental health disorder. 5 The possible influence of physical activity behavior on mental health has been studied over the past decades. 6–8 A review reported an inverse association between physical activity and mental health disorders, albeit the magnitude of the effect was found to be weak to moderate and several studies were cross-sectional, thus impeding the analyses of temporality. 8 Also, most studies on this topic were carried out in high-income countries where the nature of physical activity behavior might differ from that observed in low and middle-income countries, therefore leading to different health effects. Adolescence is a particularly relevant period of time for studies on this topic because several studies report a decline in physical activity levels throughout adolescence, particularly among girls. 9 Our study evaluates the association between physical activity behavior at 11 years of age and the incidence of mental health problems from 11 to 15 years of age using data from a birth cohort study in Brazil.
Journal of Physical Activity & Health, 2014
Physical activity (PA) practice has been inversely associated to body fat (BF) and recommended as... more Physical activity (PA) practice has been inversely associated to body fat (BF) and recommended as a way to reduce and prevent obesity. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review on the association of PA and BF in adolescence. The review includes 18 longitudinal studies found in PubMed database, comprising papers published from January 1990 to July 2014. Studies assessing BF only through body mass index (BMI) were excluded. Among the outcomes analyzed, waist circumference, skinfolds, and absolute and relative fat mass measurement were identified. Questionnaires were the way more predominant to evaluate PA. Most studies showed that PA promotes a protective effect against a higher BF gain. It was concluded that: PA has a protective effect against BF with differences between the genders and according to the BF marker or measurement assessed; higher intensity PA leads to a greater effect against BF gain in both genders; and the maintenance or increase of PA level on BF observed through analysis of change in PA level yielded more consistent findings in the relation between PA and BF.
Revista de Saúde Pública, 2007
Evolution of the epidemiological research on physical activity in Brazil: a systematic review RES... more Evolution of the epidemiological research on physical activity in Brazil: a systematic review RESUMO OBJETIVO: Descrever a evolução da pesquisa epidemiológica em atividade física no Brasil.
Revista Brasileira de Atividade Física & Saúde, 2014
Evolution of the epidemiologic physical activity and sedentary behavior research in Brazil: updat... more Evolution of the epidemiologic physical activity and sedentary behavior research in Brazil: update of a systematic review Resumo O objetivo desta revisão foi atualizar a evolução da produção científica em epidemiologia da atividade física no Brasil. Também buscamos verificar a distribuição geográfica das pesquisas e a evolução do conhecimento conforme os principais domínios que caracterizam a pesquisa em atividade física e saúde. Foi realizada uma busca sistemática da literatura nas bases de dados PubMed, LILACS e SciELO, além de buscas manuais por autores e referências cruzadas. Artigos originais publicados entre 2005 e 2013 foram incluídos contendo um ou mais domínios da atividade física, conhecimento sobre atividade física e/ou comportamento sedentário, com amostra igual ou maior a 500 participantes. Após a síntese descritiva, os estudos foram estratificados conforme localização geográfica, delineamento e domínios de pesquisa na área da atividade física e saúde. A análise final foi feita com 276 estudos. Os dados obtidos demonstraram crescente publicação científica brasileira na área de epidemiologia da atividade física (de 7 para 49 artigos/ano), sendo 82,2% delineados para analisar os determinantes, níveis e tendências temporais e as consequências à saúde da prática regular da atividade física e/ou do prolongamento do comportamento sedentário. No plano regional, houve concentração das pesquisas nas regiões Sul (43,5%) e Sudeste (22,1%) do país e crescimento das publicações provindas da região Nordeste (18,5%), e dos trabalhos com representatividade nacional, ou que envolvem cidades de regiões distintas (12,3%). Foi evidenciada grande evolução no número de publicações brasileiras em epidemiologia da atividade física, apesar de importantes limitações regionais, tipo de delineamento utilizado e dos domínios de pesquisa desenvolvidos.