Behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in adolescents from the rural area of a municipality in Southern Brazil

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and factors associated with their accumulation in adolescents from the rural area of a municipality in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. This was a cross-sectional school-based census-type study with a sample of 515 sixth to nineth-grade schoolchildren in 21 rural public schools in Pelotas. The target behavioral risk factors were: physical inactivity; irregular consumption of fruits, vegetables, and greens; initiation to alcohol consumption and smoking; and addition of salt to foods. The study outcome was the cluster score of behavioral risk factors, varying from 0 to 3: no behavioral risk factors for CVD or exposure to 1, 2, or ≥ 3 behavioral risk factors. Ordinal logistic regression was performed to assess the effect adjusted for individual characteristics on the accumulation of behavioral risk factors, using as the reference category individuals without any risk factor. Physical inactivity was the most prevalent risk factor (74.8%), followed by irregular consumption of fruits, vegetables, and greens (56.2%). Approximately 42% of the adolescents presented two behavioral risk factors, the most prevalent combination of which was physical inactivity and irregular consumption of fruits, vegetables, and greens (23%). The odds of accumulating two or more behavioral risk factors increased with age. The presence and simultaneity of behavioral risk factors is quite high among adolescents from the rural area of Pelotas, showing that they are exposed to the development of CVD. Interventions are needed to prevent the simultaneous occurrence of these risk factors.

Keywords:
Adolescent; Cardiovascular Diseases; Risk Factors; Rural Areas