Risk and protection factors for cardiovascular diseases among adults of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil

<sec><title>INTRODUCTION:</title><p> Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death and hospital expenses in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil.</p></sec><sec><title>OBJECTIVE:</title><p> To describe the temporal variation on risk and protective factors for cardiovascular diseases in adults (≥18 years old).</p></sec><sec><title>METHODS:</title><p> Data were obtained from population-based telephone surveys carried out between 2006 and 2009 in Cuiabá, the capital of Mato Grosso, Brazil. The prevalence of smoking, alcohol abuse, markers of diet quality consumption, physical activities, leisure, domestic work, and commute was estimated. Statistical significance of temporal variations in these estimators was estimated by logistic regression models, whose dependent variables were the analyzed risk factors (absent = 0; present = 1) and independent variable was the year of the survey.</p></sec><sec><title>RESULTS:</title><p> There was an increase in the proportion of men who reported to never have smoked (from 53 to 61%, p = 0.04). The frequency of regular soft drink consumption was reduced by 23% (p < 0.01). Overall, the reference to the consumption of fruits and vegetables increased by 19% (p = 0.02), and among men this increase was clearer (49%; p < 0.01). There was a reduction in domestic work (p < 0.01) and in leisure physical activity among women (from 14 to 10%; p = 0.02). Conversely, there was an increase in the proportion of women and individuals older than 40 years of age who make active commuting every day.</p></sec><sec><title>CONCLUSION:</title><p> Favorable changes in cardiovascular risk and protective factors were mostly observed among men, young adults, and those with more than eight schooling years.</p>