Lifestyle during adolescence (physical activity, sedentary behavior, smoking and eating habits) and their influence on cardiovascular health: study European and Brazilian.

Abstract

Nowadays, there is a worrying high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, arterial hypertension and obesity) during the adolescence in both developed and developing countries. Due that cardio-metabolic risk factors during the adolescence tracks to adulthood and predict an enhanced risk of mortality for cardiovascular reasons, healthy lifestyles should be promoted to reverse this situation. The main objective of this project is to study the relationship between lifestyle factors and a clustered cardio-metabolic risk index using a large sample of European and Brazilian adolescents. The lifestyle factors measured in the present project are: 1) Objectively measured physical activity by accelerometry 2) Sedentary behaviors by a validated questionnaire 3) Tobacco habits 4) Dietary habits by a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire. The variable "socieconomic status" will be used for additional analysis. As outcome variable, we measured systolic blood pressure, HOMA index, triglycerides, TC/HDL-c, VO2max and the sum of four skinfolds. With these variables, a clustered metabolic risk index will be computed. Associations of lifestyle factors with the clustered metabolic risk index will be performed using logistic or Poisson regression analysis. Another objective of this project is to study determinant factors of the tobacco consumption and whether smoking is associated with the index of cardio-metabolic risk. The information provided by this project, will be key to improve the population health of Brazilian adolescents by the promotion of healthier lifestyles. In both Brazil and European countries, policies focused in primary prevention will produce substantial economic and social benefits in the future.