Prevalência da obesidade e fatores associados em adultos brasileiros: revisão sistemática e meta-análise de estudos de representatividade nacional

Abstract

Introduction: Obesity is a complex multifactorial disease that has a high impact on public health. This chronic condition is a significant risk factor for other morbidities and impaired quality of life. Objective: Estimate the prevalence of obesity among Brazilian adults. Material and methods: Systematic literature review carried out in accordance with the Cochrane Library manual and written using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. This study was previously registered on PROSPERO [#CRD42023390871]. The search was performed using the databases MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Scopus, LILACS and the reference lists of the included studies. The primary outcomes were: (1) prevalence of obesity in Brazilian adults; (2) prevalence of obesity in Brazilian men; (3) prevalence of obesity in Brazilian women. Secondary outcomes were factors associated with obesity. Analyses were performed in the Rstudio software, version 4.1.0. Results: 5,634 references were identified, of which 19 studies and 21 national gray literature surveys, carried out from 1974 to 2021, were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of obesity in Brazilian adults in the national territory was 20.0% (95%CI: 14.0-25.0%) while in the capitals it was equal to 17.0% (95%CI: 16.0-19. 0%). According to the regions of the country, obesity varied between 11.0% and 17.0%, with a lower and higher frequency in the Northeast and South regions. In the capitals, the prevalence of obesity varied between 14.0% and 17.0%, less frequently in the cities of Palmas and São Luis and more frequently in the city of Manaus. The prevalence of obesity remained higher among women in most periods, with a frequency of 18.0%, while in men it was 16.0%. In the subgroup analysis, considering the variables gender, geographic region of residence and urban or rural housing, there was no statistical difference. Conclusion: The prevalence of obesity in adults of both sexes living in Brazil and its states were high. There was no statistically significant difference in the subgroup analysis.