Epidemiol Serv Saude. 2026 Jul 18;35:e20250992. doi: 10.1590/S2237-96222026v35e20250992.en. eCollection 2026.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the association between nutritional status and health perception among participants of the Health Academy Program (Programa Academia da Saúde) in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study using baseline data from a randomized controlled community trial conducted with a representative sample of the Program. Individuals aged 20 years or older answered a questionnaire including sociodemographic variables, self-reported morbidities, and health perception, and had their nutritional status assessed. For data presentation, absolute and relative frequencies and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were used. Regression adjustments were performed to assess the association between nutritional status (underweight or normal weight, overweight, and obesity) and health perception (good or very good, and very poor, poor, or fair), and odds ratios (OR) with 95%CI were used as measures of association.
RESULTS: Of the 3,264 participants, 2,827 (88.0%) were women and 1,931 (56.6%) were adults; 1,352 (41.4%) were overweight, and 944 (28.9%) had obesity; 1,730 (53.0%) reported hypertension, 1,433 (44.3%) dyslipidemia, and 548 (16.8%) diabetes. Regarding health perception, 2,358 (72.3%) respondents rated their health as good or very good. Individuals with obesity were found to have 47.0% higher odds of reporting very poor, poor, or fair health perception compared to their counterparts.
CONCLUSION: Obesity was associated with poorer health perception among participants in the Health Academy Program.
PMID:42922926 | PMC:PMC13686295 | DOI:10.1590/S2237-96222026v35e20250992.en
