Family violence and body mass index among adolescents enrolled in the Bolsa Família Program and treated at a primary care clinic

• Author(s): Silva,Ana Maria Vieira Lourenço da ; Taquette,Stella Regina ; Hasselmann,Maria Helena
• Date: 2014
• Origin: Oasisbr
• Subject(s): Domestic Violence; Body Mass Index; Nutritional Status; Adolescent
• Document Type: Journal article
• Language: English

Description

This article aimed to investigate the relationship between family violence and body mass index (BMI) in adolescents whose families were enrolled in the Bolsa Família Program. The cross-sectional study included 201 adolescents of both sexes, 10 to 19 years of age, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2008-2009. BMI and physical, psychological, and verbal abuse of adolescents by their parents were evaluated. The association between family violence and BMI was measured via linear regression models. In girls, verbal abuse was directly associated with BMI, showing a significant mean increase of 2.064, 2.438, and 2.403 in BMI when perpetrated by the mother, father, and both parents, respectively. Among boys, family violence was associated with lower BMI (but without reaching statistical significance). The findings point to the need for innovative practices and approaches in the nutritional care of adolescents enrolled in the Bolsa Família Program, considering family violence as a contributing factor to inadequate nutritional status.