Background: Although clinical manifestations of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are observed, usually in the adult stage of life, there is strong evidence that these disorders can begin in adolescence. Few people who get a moderate to high risk for CVD at this stage can reverse this situation as an adult, which makes the monitoring of risk factors important element for detecting predisposition to the development of CVD in this population. Dietary modifications should form the basis for prevention of CVD, may reflect favorable changes in measurable risk factors. Dietary indices, such as the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) has been valid strategies for monitoring the power of a given population, and verification of cause and effect relationships in epidemiological studies Methods:The present study aimed to analyze the association between quality of diet through the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised(BHEI-R) and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in schoolchildren (N=1077) enrolled in the public school system, in the city of João Pessoa, Northeast Brazil. A cross-sectional study was performed and socio-demographic data and variables of risk factors for CVD were collected. Food intake was obtained from two 24h food recalls. Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify the variables associated with the BHEI-R (p<0.005).Results: Lower time spent on sedentary behavior (OR=1.39; 95%CI=1.03-1.87) and maternal level of education (OR=0.55; 95%CI=0.38-0.81) were associated with a higher BHEI-R score. There was an inadequate intake of "whole fruits" (1.2 points; SD=2.1), "whole cereals" This article is available at: www.intarchmed.com and www.medbrary.com 2 (1.3 points; SD=1.6), "milk and dairy products" (2.0 points; ST=3.0) and foods from the "solid fat and added sugar and alcohol" group (7.9 points; SD=6.3). Conclusions:The importance of providing guidance on the reduction in sedentary behavior and performing actions that promote healthy eating should be emphasized among adolescents.