OBJECTIVES: to investigate the association between family risk factors and abdominal obesity in adolescents. METHODS: the sample comprised 691 young people of both sexes (aged between 11 and 17 years), residing in the municipality of Presidente Prudente, in the State of São Paulo, in 2007. Identification of abdominal obesity was based on the waist circumference and family risk factors (level of schooling and overweight in the parents, socio-economic conditions, number of siblings and number of televisions in the household). These variables were collected using questionnaires. Statistical analysis involved application of the chi-squared test and logistic regression (odds ratio [OR] and confidence interval [CI95%]). RESULTS: the prevalence of abdominal obesity was 14.8% in the study sample and there was no difference between males and females (male: 17.7% and female: 12.9%; p=0.111). Abdominal obesity was associated with the private school sector (3.75 [1.27-11.00]), an overweight/obese mother (3.82 [1.14-12.73]) and both parents being overweight/obese (6.21 [2.07-18.63]). CONCLUSIONS: the findings of this study suggest that studying in a private school and overweight parents are the main risk factors associated with abdominal obesity in adolescents.
Abdominal circumference; Risk factors; Obesity; Adolescents
