Factors associated with overweight among food handlers in public schools

DOI: 10.15343/0104-7809.20153902210218

Abstract

Nutritional status is one of the indicators of behavior and food habits, and the way a person feeds is involved in many
meanings and can influence the way she prepares meals. In this sense, food handlers are very important in the develop-
ment of attitudes and behaviors relating to food choices and social life in the school setting. Therefore, the aim of this study
was to characterize the nutritional status and identify the factors associated with excess weight of food handlers in public
schools. This is an analytical study conducted with food handlers in public schools in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, in
2013. Overweight was diagnosed by means of body mass index measurements and was correlated to anthropometric,
socioeconomic, health history and food habit variables that were obtained through a semi-structured questionnaire. 274
subjects participated, among whom 99.6% female, mostly married, adult with primary education and per capita income up
to the Brazilian national minimum wage were studied. The prevalence of overweight was 82.80%, positively associated with
hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, use of medications, habit of snacking, and inversely with the recommended
water intake and physical activity practice. The high prevalence of overweight and some factors associated signal the need
for planning and implementing actions of health education for the prevention and control of this condition among food
handlers in public schools.