Bullying, physical activity, and body image among Brazilian students.

To determine the prevalence of bullying in Brazilian schools and analyze its association with physical activity and body image, data were collected from 51.192 students. Boys are more frequently bullied (7.2%) and they also bully more than girls (p ⩽ 0.01). Regarding body image, 26 percent of the girls considered themselves thin or very thin (p ⩽ 0.01). For boys, we observed associations between the variable of being treated well by classmates and race. Bullying was associated to mother's education. The data show the need for cross-sector actions based on educational policies and practices that can reduce and prevent bullying in schools.