Abordagem educacional sobre ocorrência da hipertensão e obesidade em estudantes de uma escola pública do município de Coronel Fabriciano – Minas Gerais

Abstract

In the last decades, it has been observed an increase of people with Systemic Arterial Hypertension (SAH) and obesity in the world. Daily living habits - in which are used inadequate diets and are not practiced a physical activity - are risk factors for the the early development of both obesity and hypertension. Health education is one of the pillars recommended by MEC (Ministério da Educação e Cultura), which has as guide the development of pedagogical proposals that make students aware of the importance in adopting healthy living habits as a form to prevent and control diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine the occurrence among high school students of hypertension, overweight and obesity, allowing an effective education in the knowledge of their risk factors and their prevention and or control. In addition, in the active methodology format, a board game was developed for students who wish to familiarize and learn about overweight, obesity and hypertension. A total of 121 students participated voluntarily, 74 female and 47 male, with ages ranging from 15 to 19 years. Students answered a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire and were collected blood pressure (BP) and anthropometric indices. The survey results showed that approximately 17% of male students have prehypertension (PH) or SAH and 2.7% of female students with PH. Regarding Body Mass Index (BMI), overweight and obesity occurred in 9% of students. According to the Relative Body Fat Mass Index (RFM), 14.9% of the students were diagnosed as obese. Finally, family history seemed to be important for the early development of hypertension - about 80% of students identified with above-normal blood pressure reported having family hypertension cases. The students distribution with hypertension, overweight or obesity has a slight tendency for a higher occurrence in lower income classes. When evaluating the practice of regular physical activity or physical inactivity as a variable related to the control of overweight, obesity or SAH, a direct association was found only with the results of obesity by RFM. The didactics with the board game was important. Most students, after this active methodology, were able to answer the questions that were proposed about the pathophysiological aspects of overweight, obesity and hypertension. The survey results indicate that young high school students have, approximated to the observed in research with similar methodology, early developed overweight, obesity and hypertension. The adoption of pedagogical proposals that allow embracing health education with the presentation of lectures, conversation circles and inclusion of health related topics in the biology subject's menu are valid alternatives that include one of the guidelines provided by the national education council.