Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Communication
  • Published:

A shift in the epidemiology of low body mass index in Brazilian adults

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 59, pages 1002–1006 (2005)Cite this article

Abstract

Objective:

To study the prevalence and current predictors of low body mass index (BMI) in a population undergoing a rapid nutritional transition.

Design:

Population-based cross-sectional study.

Settings:

Individuals living in the urban area of Pelotas, a medium-sized southern Brazilian city, were interviewed at home.

Subjects:

A multiple-stage sampling strategy was used. Out of 3372 eligible subjects, 3047 were interviewed. The study was restricted to adults (≥20 y).

Main outcome measure:

Low BMI was defined as <18.5 kg/m2.

Results:

The prevalence of low BMI was 2.7% (95% confidence interval: 2.1; 3.3), higher in women than men (3.8 vs 1.3%; P<0.001). In the whole sample (men and women combined), living without a partner and current smoking were positively associated with low BMI. Among women, low BMI presented a U-shaped relationship with age and was positively associated with educational level. The prevalence of low BMI in young women was 6.3%, and in highly educated young women was 8.9%.

Conclusions:

Consistently with previous Brazilian studies, a decline in the overall prevalence of low BMI is clear. However, differently from these studies, the predictors of low BMI in women are similar to those observed within developed countries (including low age and high education), possibly indicating an increase in eating disorders.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Benjelloun S (2002): Nutrition transition in Morocco. Publ. Health Nutr. 5, 135–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bland M & Altman D (1986): Statistical methods for assessing agreement between two methods of clinical measurement. Lancet 8476, 307–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bourne LT, Lambert EV & Steyn K (2002): Where does the black population of South Africa stand on the nutritional transition? Publ. Health Nutr. 5, 157–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. 1991 National Census. Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics 1991.

  • De Vasconcellos MTL (1994): Body mass index: its relationship with food consumption and socioeconomic variables in Brazil. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 48, S115–S123.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Du S, Lu B, Zhai F, Popkin & BM (2002): A new stage of the nutrition transition in China. Publ. Health Nutr. 5, 169–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fonseca MJM, Faerstein E, Chor D & Lopes CS (2004): Validity of self-reported weight and height and the body mass index within the ‘Pro-saúde’ study. Rev. Saude Publ. 38, 392–398.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghassemi H, Harrison G & Mohammad K (2002): An accelerated nutritional transition in Iran. Publ. Health Nutr. 5, 149–156.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hallal PC, Victora CG, Wells JCK & Lima RC (2003): Physical inactivity: prevalence and associated variables in Brazilian adults. Med. Sci. Sports. Exerc. 35, 1894–1900.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • James WPT (1994): The challenge of adult chronic energy deficiency. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 48, S1–S9.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • James WPT, Ferro-Luzzi A & Waterlow JC (1994): Definition of chronic energy deficiency in adults. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 42, 969–981.

    Google Scholar 

  • James WPT & Francois P (1994): The choice of cut-off point for distinguishing normal body weights from underweight or chronic energy deficiency in adults. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 48, S179–S184.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lee S, Ho TP & Hsu LKG (1993): Fat phobic and non-fat phobic anorexia nervosa: a comparative study of 70 Chinese patients in Hong Kong. Psychol. Med. 23, 999–1017.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro CA, Conde WL & Popkin BM (2002): Is obesity replacing or adding to undernutrition? Evidence from different social classes in Brazil. Publ. Health Nutr. 5, 105–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nadaoka T, Oiji A, Takahasi S, Morioka Y, Kashiwakura M & Totsuka S (1996): An epidemiological study of eating disorders in a northern area of Japan. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 93, 305–310.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Popkin BM (2002): The shift in stages of the nutrition transition in the developing world differs from past experiences. Publ. Health Nutr. 5, 205–214.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodriguez-Ojea A, Jimenez S, Berdasco A & Esquivel M (2002): The nutrition transition in Cuba in the nineties: an overview. Publ. Health Nutr. 5, 129–134.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schimidt M, Duncan B, Tavares M, Polancyzk C, Pellanda L & Zimmer P (1993): Validity of self-reported weight – a study of urban Brazilian adults. Rev. Saude Publ. 27, 271–276.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shetty PS (2002): Nutrition transition in India. Publ. Health Nutr. 5, 175–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shetty PS & James WPT (1994): Body Mass Index: A Measure of Chronic Energy Deficiency in Adults. Rome: FAO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Silveira EA, Araújo CL, Gigante DP, Barros AJ & Lima MS (2005): Weight and height validation for diagnosis of adult nutritional status in southern Brazil. Cad. Saude Publ. 21, 235–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Victora CG, Huttly SR, Fuchs SC & Olinto MTA (1997): The role of conceptual frameworks in epidemiological analysis: a hierarchical approach. Int. J. Epidemiol. 26, 224–227.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whitaker A, Davies M, Shaffer D, Johnson J, Abrams S, Walsh BT & Kalikow K (1989): The struggle to be thin: a survey of anorexic symptoms in a non-referred adolescent population. Psychol. Med. 19, 143–163.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Post-graduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil

    P C Hallal, A D Bertoldi, M C Silva, M R Domingues, M L V Carret, C L P Araújo & D P Gigante

  2. MRC Childhood Nutrition Centre, Institute of Child Health, London, UK

    J C K Wells

  3. Psychiatry Research Unit, Post-Graduate Psychiatry Program, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    F K Gazalle

Authors
  1. P C Hallal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J C K Wells
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A D Bertoldi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. F K Gazalle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M C Silva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. M R Domingues
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. M L V Carret
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. C L P Araújo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. D P Gigante
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P C Hallal.

Additional information

Guarantor: PC Hallal.

Contributors: PC Hallal, AD Bertoldi, FK Gazalle, MC Silva, MR Domingues and MLV Carret coordinated the field work and performed quality control. PC Hallal and AD Bertoldi led the analysis process. JCK Wells led the writing process. CLP Araujo and DP Gigante worked as supervisors in all phases of the study. PC Hallal had the original idea for this paper. All authors helped in the writing and analyses processes, and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hallal, P., Wells, J., Bertoldi, A. et al. A shift in the epidemiology of low body mass index in Brazilian adults. Eur J Clin Nutr 59, 1002–1006 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602204

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602204

Keywords

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links