OBJECTIVE To assess the factors associated with the use of dietary supplements by people who exercise at gyms.METHODS A cross-sectional study with a sample defined by convenience, considering the number of gyms registered in the Conselho Regional de Educação Física (Regional Council of Physical Education) of Sao Luis, MA, Northeastern Brazil, from July 2011 to July 2012. The final sample comprised 723 individuals who exercise at gyms. The dependent variable was supplement use, and the explanatory variables were length of time and motivation of the physical exercises, duration, goal and self-perception of training, weekly frequency of gym attendance, sex, age, educational attainment, self-perception of body weight, smoking and self-perception of diet. The association between variables was analysed by hierarchical Poisson regression based on a theoretical model.RESULTS Supplement use was reported by 64.7% of the participants. Most of the sample was male (52.6%). The most frequent age group was 20 to 39 years (74.4%). Most participants (46.1%) had been exercising for over a year. The following variables were associated with supplement use: self-perceiving body weight as below ideal (p < 0.001), smoking (p < 0.001), exercising for 7 to 12 months (p = 0.028) or more than one year (p < 0.001), spending more than two hours at the gym (p = 0.051), and perceiving training as moderate (p = 0.024) or intense (p = 0.001).CONCLUSIONS The use of supplements lacks proper professional guidance, being motivated by individuals unsatisfied with their low body weight and who perceive their workout as intense, which raises the need for monitoring this population.

ResumoObjetivoAvaliar a influência da composição corporal sobre a massa óssea em crianças e adolescentes. Métodos: Estudo transversal com 267 estudantes saudáveis de ambos os sexos (141 meninos e 126 meninas) com idades entre 8 e 18 anos. Peso, altura, índice de massa corporal, massa magra, massa gorda, índice de massa gorda, percentual de gordura corporal, circunferência da cintura e do quadril e relação cintura-quadril foram avaliados. A massa óssea foi avaliada por ultrassonografia das falanges da mão (DBM Sonic BPI GEA, Carpi, Italy).ResultadosAs meninas apresentaram maior massa óssea em relação aos meninos, com o avanço da idade e estádio puberal. Em ambos os sexos, a massa óssea apresentou correlações significativas e positivas com idade, peso, altura, índice de massa corporal, massa magra, e circunferências da cintura e do quadril; e negativa com a relação cintura-quadril. Nas meninas, houve também correlação positiva com massa gorda, índice de massa gorda e percentual de gordura corporal. A idade e a massa magra foram preditoras para a massa óssea nos meninos e a idade, o estádio púbere e o índice de massa gorda preditores nas meninas.ConclusãoA correlação entre massa óssea e composição corporal ocorreu em ambos os sexos, sendo a massa magra preditora da quantidade óssea nos meninos e o índice de massa gorda nas meninas.SummaryObjectiveTo evaluate the influence of body composition on bone mass in children and adolescents.MethodsA cross-sectional study with 267 healthy students of both sexes (141 males and 126 females) aged 8 to 18 years. Weight, height, body mass index, lean mass, fat mass, fat mass index, body fat percentage, waist and hip circumferences, and waist-to-hip ratio were evaluated. Bone mass was assessed using ultrasound of hand phalanges (DBM Sonic BP – IGEA, Carpi, Italy).ResultsFemales showed greater bone mass in relation to males with advances in age and pubertal stage. In both sexes, the bone mass showed significant and positive correlations with age, weight, height, body mass index, lean mass, waist and hip circumferences; and negative correlations with waist-to-hip ratio. In females, there was also a positive correlation with fat mass, fat mass index, and body fat percentage. Age and lean mass were predictors for bone mass in males, and age, pubertal stage and fat mass index were predictors in females.ConclusionThe correlation between bone mass and body composition occurred in both sexes, with lean mass and fat mass index being the predictor of bone mass in males and females, respectivel

This cross-sectional study aimed to compare growth, nutritional status and body composition outcomes between a group of 94 HIV-infected children and adolescents on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and 364 healthy controls, and to evaluate their association with clinical and lifestyle variables within the HIV-infected group. When compared with the control group, HIV patients had higher risk of stunting (odds ratio [OR] 5.33, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.83–10.04) and thinness (OR 4.7, 95% CI: 2.44–9.06), higher waist-to-hip ratios (medians 0.89 versus 0.82 for boys and 0.90 versus 0.77 for girls, P < 0.001), and lower prevalence of overweight or obesity (OR 0.33, 95% CI: 0.14–0.78). Protease inhibitor usage was associated with thinness (OR 3.51, 95% CI 1.07–11.44) and lipoatrophy (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.37–8.95). HIV-infected children on ART showed significant nutritional status and body composition abnormalities, consistent with the severity of vertical HIV infection and the consequences of prolonged ART.