Relação entre status nutricional de selênio e percentual de gordura corporal de mulheres em idade fértil

Abstract

Recent studies have linked selenium (Se) deficiency with comorbidities such as obesity and cardiovascular diseases; however, the scientific evidence on the relationship between Se nutritional status and excess body fat is still controversial. Objective: To investigate the association between serum Se concentration (SSC), age, and body fat percentage (BF%) in women of childbearing age. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study, nested in a quasi-experimental study, carried out from October 2022 to June 2023, which included women, aged between 15 and 49 years, assisted at four Family Health Units (USF) in the municipality of Santo Antônio de Jesus, Bahia. Pearson's correlation and the Student's t-test were used. Results: A total of 96 women were evaluated, with a mean age of 33.33±9.79 years, predominantly self-declared black and brown (93.75%) and income of 1 to 2 minimum wages (51.04%). The mean SSC was 88.73±15.30 μg/L and the prevalence of overweight/obesity was 62.5%. Of the total, 84.4% of the participants had %BF above the average and a prevalence of cardiovascular risk (CR) of 66.7%. There was a positive association between SSC and age (r= 0.34; p = 0.01). Women with CR and above-average BF% also had higher SSC (90.03±15.62 μg/L and 89.60±15.08 μg/L, respectively). Conclusion: This study revealed nutritional adequacy of Se in the population evaluated; however, it showed a high prevalence of overweight and CR, indicating the need for interprofessional actions to cope with and prevent it in Primary Health Care.