School Enrollment Protects Brazilian Adolescents from Overweight and Obesity, Even for Siblings in the Same Household

Children and adolescents who live in Brazil, one of the most unequal countries in the world, are now among the heaviest in the world. Traditionally, researchers have paid scant attention to the role of adolescents’ own emerging socioeconomic characteristics, measured by whether they are in school or working, on their weight status. Using a nationally representative data set that includes anthropometric measures of the height and weight of all household members, this study, led by PRC faculty research associate Leticia Marteleto and former PRC trainee Molly Dondero, examines whether and how adolescents’ school and work experiences are associated with overweight and obesity in Brazil. They find that Brazilian adolescents who are enrolled in school—both those who work and those who do not—have the lowest probabilities of being overweight or obese. They argue for robust policies that promote school retention to minimize adolescents’ risk of overweight and obesity.