Abstract
Objective: To compare anthropometric data, eating habits and sports frequency in children in a public and private school network. Methods: 80 children participated in this study, with ages ranging from 7 to 10 years, which 35 were from public school and 45 in a private school. Were collected anthropometric data, weight, height and calculated the body mass index. Subsequently, a questionnaire was applied to each participant about quality of their eating habits and sports practice. Student's t-test was used to compare two independent groups; and in the data which more than two groups were involved, Fisher's Variance Analysis (ANOVA) with Tukey post-test was performed, with a significance level of 5.0% (α = 0.05). Results: The proportion of children who practice sports (p=0.0060*) and the frequency of this practice (p=0.003*) are higher among schoolchildren in private school; children in public schools had a higher proportion of meals in front of television (p=0.0026*). Conclusion: These findings demonstrate characteristics of health habits, relevant to child's growth and development, that present differences between public and private education networks, emphasizing public network must prioritize changes to minimize possible habits that will compromise the child for his or her life.