SOCIAL NETWORK AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS WITH OVERWEIGHT AND OBESITY IN ADOLESCENTS FROM RURAL BRAZIL: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY
Obesity; Overweight; Adolescents;
Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the social network of rural adolescents and its associations with overweight/obesity. MethodsStudents from a rural school in Northeast Brazil (n=90) completed questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, food consumption, physical activity and name generator. Network measures were performed, principal component analysis was performed for determining eating patterns and logistic models were performed to investigate variables associated with overweight/obesity. Results Most of the participants were girls (62.9%), and 30% of the studied adolescents were with overweight or obesity. Students cited 2,070 people from their networks; and the family network had the highest degree of influence (61%), sharing most of the meals with the adolescents (47%). The obese shape was prevalent in the description of family network members (51%). Adolescents with unhealthy eating patterns were 72% more likely to be with overweight/obesity; and eigenvector centrality was also associated with overweight/obesity (OR = 5.88, 95%CI = 1.29 – 43.88.