Body dissatisfaction and risk behaviors for chronic non-communicable diseases in adolescents in Brazil

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the association between body dissatisfaction and risk behaviors for non-communicable chronic diseases in adolescents in Brazil. Materials and methods: Data from the National School Health Survey (PENSE) of 2019 were used. Body dissatisfaction was defined based on the question: "How do you feel about your body?" and those who answered dissatisfied or very dissatisfied were classified as having body dissatisfaction. Risk factors included regular consumption of sweetened beverages, physical inactivity, and sedentary behavior. The accumulation of risk factors for NCDs was also analyzed. Analyses were performed using crude and adjusted Poisson regression models, with significance levels and confidence intervals determined, and were performed using Stata software, version 16.1. Results: 83.2% of students were physically inactive, 52.2% presented sedentary behavior, and 17.1% had regular consumption of soft drinks. Body dissatisfaction was associated with a higher prevalence of regular consumption of sweetened beverages and sedentary behavior in girls, and physical inactivity in boys, with the latter being 5% higher compared to those without body dissatisfaction. Body dissatisfaction was associated with a higher prevalence of accumulated risk factors in both boys and girls, with a greater effect on girls. Conclusion: The adoption of risky behaviors for NCDs in adolescence can cause adverse health outcomes throughout life. Therefore, further studies are needed to evaluate this association to facilitate understanding of the cause-and-effect relationship and assist in decision-making that minimizes the problem.