ADHD SYMPTOMS, EXCESS WEIGHT, AND OTHER MENTAL DISORDERS IN ADOLESCENTS FROM PUBLIC SCHOOLS

The objective of the present study is to verify the prevalence of ADHD, anxiety, depression, stress, and overweight symptoms in adolescent students of public schools. We evaluated 271 adolescents, with a mean age of 14.82 + 1.07 years. The data collection was performed using the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory for the prevalence of mental disorders. Body mass index was calculated based on body weight and height. The variables used to assess daily habits were frequency of daily sitting time and weekly frequency of physical activity outside of school. We used descriptive statistics to analyze the data. For the 271 adolescents evaluated, prevalence of ADHD symptoms was 3.69%, anxiety, 7.01%, depression, 9.59%, and stress, 7.38%. The sample was predominantly male (61.3%). According to the body mass index, 25.83% of the adolescents were overweight and 13.28%, underweight. Regarding daily habits, 66.42% of the sample did not undertake physical activities outside of school and 50.92% spent more than 4 hours a day sitting. School adolescents have sedentary lifestyles, difficulty maintaining adequate body weight, and symptoms of various mental disorders, which can impair academic performance and lead to problems that extend into adulthood. For this reason, a sedentary lifestyle in adolescents becomes a public health issue