title: Prevalence of central obesity in a large sample of adolescents from public schools in Recife, Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence and association of central obesity (CO) and hypertension and its associations with alcohol intake, smoking and physical activity in adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross sectional study in 1,824 students from 29 public schools in Recife.
  
  
  RESULTS
  89.6% were normal weight, 6.7% overweight and 3.7% obese; 77.2% were normotensive, 5.9% prehypertensive and 16.9% hypertensive; CO was 10.2% when the 90th percentile was used as cutoff and 25.2% when the 75th percentile was used. There was a higher likelihood of central obesity among students aged 18 to 20 years, smoking and alcohol intake. The probability of hypertension increases if the subject is male, has a waist circumference (WC) ≥ 90, WC ≥ 75 and does not practice physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high prevalence of CO and hypertension was found in adolescents. CO was more frequent in students aged 18 to 20 years, smokers and with alcohol intake and hypertension was associated with male, CO and no physical activity.
authors.affiliation: Medical School, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil. luizgriz@globo.com
authors.forename: Luiz H M
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Griz
authors.forename: Maíra
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Viégas
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Adriana L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Griz
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Freese
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bandeira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D017150:Public Sector; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D055815:Young Adult