Prevalence of risk health behavior among adolescents: results from the 2009 National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE)

Adolescence is typically a developmental phase characterized by change and experimentation and therefore varying exposure to health hazards. We aimed at estimating the prevalence of protective and risk health behaviors of adolescents interviewed in the 2009 National Adolescent School-based Health Survey (PeNSE). PeNSE, a partnership between the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE) and the Ministry of Health, using a PDA-based self-administered questionnaire collected information on 60,973 students enrolled at 1,453 public and private schools in the 27 state capitals and the Federal District. Results: among the food items most often consumed (>=5 days per week), were beans (62.6%) and fruit (31.5%), but also sweets (58.3%) and soft drinks (37%), 43.1% of the students were sufficiently physically active but 79.5% spent > 2 hours per day in front of the TV. As for drug use, 6.3% reported being current tobacco smokers, 27% drank alcoholic beverages regularly and 8.7% had used illicit drugs at least once. These results should guide stakeholders and policy makers in the development and implementation of programs and recommendations aimed at curtailing unhealthy exposures of adolescents in Brazil.