Cardiovascular risk factors were investigated in 356 children 5 to 9 years of age who were treated at a primary care center located in a low-income area in Greater Metropolitan Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lipid profile, nutritional status, food intake, and lifestyle were evaluated. 10.7% of the children were overweight, 68.4% had some type of dyslipidemia, and 18.6% showed high LDL-c. To describe the food intake pattern, the answers to the qualitative food questionnaire were submitted to multivariate cluster analysis, producing six basic groups: traditional Brazilian cooking; "modern" food (including diet and light products); fried food; sweets and soft drinks (mixed with other groups); and other poorly defined groups. The high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (beginning in childhood) and the evidence of inadequate dietary habits indicate that a preventive family-focused strategy is needed to change the dietary pattern of low-income groups towards healthier eating.
CITATION STYLE
Gama, S. R., Sá Carvalho, M., & Chaves, C. R. M. D. M. (2007). Childhood prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. Cadernos de Saude Publica, 23(9), 2239–2245. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0102-311x2007000900032
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