title: Dietary habits and risk factors for atherosclerosis in students from Bento Gonçalves (state of Rio Grande do Sul).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease begins its process in early childhood and is influenced throughout life by genetic factors and environmental exposure to potentially modifiable risk factors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of risk factors for atherosclerosis with emphasis on dietary habits in a predominantly Italian colonization town.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based cross sectional study, involving 590 primary school students aged between 9 and 18 years, with a cluster sample. The following were collected: identification data, family history and personal history, and information regarding students' eating habits. Dietary habits considered inappropriate included: consumption of fast food, sugary snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages and animal fats four or more times a week, and fruits, green vegetables, and leguminous vegetables less than four times a week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of overweight among students was 24.6% (n = 145), high blood pressure, 11.1% (n = 65); passive smoking, 35.4% (n = 208); sedentary lifestyle, 52.3% (n = 306), family history of 1st degree disease: hypertension, 21.4%, obesity 36.5%. Food items eaten four or more times a week: fast food, 70.3% (n = 411); sugary snacks, 42.7% (n = 252), sugar-sweetened beverages, 71% (n = 419), and animal fats, 24.4% (n = 143). Food items eaten less than four times a week: fruits, 36.8% (n = 215), green vegetables, 49.5% (n = 292) and leguminous vegetables, 63.7% (n = 374).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions are needed to promote changes in students' eating habits: higher level of consumption of fruits, green vegetables and leguminous vegetables, and increased level of physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Cardiologia do Rio Grande do Sul/Fundação Universitária de Cardiologia, Porto Alegre, RS.
authors.forename: Hosana Maria Speranza
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Cimadon
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Geremia
authors.forename: Lucia Campos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Pellanda
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors