Prevalence of overweight and obesity in socially vulnerable women in the Metropolitan Region of Recife (2014-2024)

Abstract

Introduction: Brazil is undergoing a process marked by nutritional transition, characterized by a decline in malnutrition and a continuous increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity. These conditions affect populations in situations of social vulnerability more intensely, especially low-income women, among whom the risk of obesity is intensified by socioeconomic conditions, food insecurity, and barriers to accessing healthy habits. Objective: To analyze the prevalence of overweight and obesity in socially vulnerable women in the Metropolitan Region of Recife between 2014 and 2024. Methodology: A cross-sectional, retrospective, and descriptive study based on secondary data from the Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN). Records of women aged 20 to 59 years followed by Primary Care in the municipality of Recife and registered in the Bolsa Família Program were included. The analyses considered absolute and relative frequencies of overweight and obesity (grades I, II, and III), classified by Body Mass Index (BMI). The results were presented using a table and time series graph. Results: The final sample consisted of 115,931 overweight women. A gradual reduction in overweight was observed, from 34.84% (2014) to 32.37% (2024). In contrast, obesity showed significant growth, increasing from 22.30% to 36.86% in the same period, with a notable increase in grades II and III. Between 2019 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in total obesity (31.96% to 32.51%). Conclusion: The increase in obesity among women benefiting from the Bolsa Família Program in the municipality of Recife highlights structural inequalities and reinforces the need to strengthen nutritional surveillance actions, promote healthy eating, and implement food security policies directed at vulnerable groups.