The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of smoking and alcohol intake among university students from the Federal University of Pelotas, Brazil (UFPel), as well as to investigate factors associated with both habits. The sample included 485 students who were admitted to the university in 2008. Students were sampled randomly across all schools of the UFPel campus, and answered a pre-tested questionnaire, which was administered in the classroom by a member of the research team. Of the individuals interviewed, 53.9% were females and 42.3% were under 20 years. Regarding alcohol intake, 75% used alcohol once a month or less frequently, and the prevalence of risk for abusive alcohol intake was 6.2%. Regarding smoking, 10.2% reported smoking regularly or on weekends. More than 90% of those who smoked or used alcohol started before entering the university. Smoking was directly related to age and inversely related to self-rated health. In terms of alcohol intake, those who lived with friends were more likely to use it. Our data suggest the need for implementing strategies to promote healthy lifestyles among university students. However, the fact that more than 90% of individuals started to smoke or drink before entering the university suggests that interventions should target adolescents as a whole, and not only those who are university students, because onset of smoking and alcohol intake seems to occur at earlier ages.

AIMS: To describe the methodological and operational aspects of a health survey, conducted by means of a multidisciplinary research consortium.METHODS: A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted with individuals 18 years or older, living in the urban area of the municipality of Rio Grande, in Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. The sampling was probabilistic, with census tracts as the primary sample unit. The research instrument consisted of a standardized and previously tested questionnaire, with closed questions, applied by face-to-face in dwellings. A brief questionnaire was administered to 10.5% of subjects for quality control purposes. Fieldwork lasted from April to July 2016, and the study was approved by an ethics committee.RESULTS: Of the 70 sampled census tracts, 711 households were randomly selected, comprising 1,429 eligible individuals. Overall, 1,300 individuals (91.0%) of 676 households (95.1%) answered the questionnaire. Losses and refusals were more prevalent for males and downtown's sectors. The questionnaire reproducibility was satisfactory (mean kappa = 0.80).CONCLUSIONS: The main methodological aspects of a multidisciplinary research consortium were pointed out, which may be of interest to other researchers. We highlight the importance of these type of study to yield information on various health conditions of the population.

Resumo Este estudo teve por objetivo descrever a utilização dos serviços de educação física por adultos e idosos e apresentar características de quem não utilizou tais serviços. Além disso, descrever o conhecimento da população sobre a oferta destes serviços nas políticas públicas de saúde. Realizado em Rio Grande/RS com uma amostra de 1300 pessoas entrevistadas por meio de questionário no ano de 2016. Um total de 16,1% (IC95% 13,0:19,3) dos entrevistados utilizou os serviços nos últimos três meses. Destes, 78% o fizeram nos serviços privados, com predomínio nas academias de ginástica (73,2%). Já para os que não utilizaram, a falta de tempo foi o motivo em 31,1%, e para 37,7% a escola foi o último contato com o professor de educação física. Um total de 18,8% da população nunca utilizou serviços de educação física. O conhecimento sobre a educação física nas políticas públicas de saúde foi de 15,4% para Unidades Básicas de Saúde e 13,9% no Hospital Universitário. Há uma baixa utilização dos serviços de educação física na população adulta e idosa, concentrada em espaços privados e mais acessível a grupos de maior renda e escolaridade. Assim há uma ausência de democratização na utilização deste serviço na população adulta e idosa.

the anthropometric indicators assessed reached satisfactory diagnostic values for overweight prediction in adolescents from the Brazilian semi-arid region.

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