The aim of this study was to analyze trends and factors associated with food insecurity in Brazil in 2004, 2009, and 2013, using microdata from the National Household Sample Survey (PNAD). Food insecurity was assessed using the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Independent variables were selected from a conceptual model of determination of food insecurity, which was also used in the elaboration of multiple generalized linear models. The results show a downward trend in food insecurity prevalence from 2004 to 2013, especially for moderate and severe food insecurity, from 17% in 2004 (95%CI: 15.7-18.4) to 7.9% in 2013 (95%CI: 7.2-8.7). Despite important decreases in the prevalence of moderate and severe food insecurity, regardless of the level of determination, the population strata with the lowest prevalence in 2004 showed the largest relative reduction. As for factors associated with moderate and severe food insecurity, they remained the same in the ten years covered by the PNAD survey, namely: the North and Northeast regions, urban areas with inadequate sanitation, household density > 2 persons per bedroom, ≤ 4 household durable consumer goods, and households headed by females, individuals < 60 years, and non-whites, ≤ 4 years of schooling, and being unemployed. From 2004 to 2013, the prevalence of Brazilian households with moderate and severe food insecurity dropped by half, but from the perspective of equity the advances occurred unequally and were lower in strata with greater social, economic, and demographic vulnerability.

OBJETIVO: Descrever e discutir a introdução de alimentos industrializados na dieta de crianças frequentadoras de berçários em creches, considerando a recomendação do Ministério da Saúde para uma alimentação saudável. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com 270 crianças frequentadoras de berçários de 8 creches públicas e filantrópicas do município de São Paulo. Por meio de questionário estruturado e pré-codificado, foi avaliada a introdução de alimentos a partir de 11 perguntas. Para cada alimento analisado foi registrada a idade em meses de introdução e avaliada a concordância com o oitavo passo do Guia Alimentar. No estudo das associações, utilizou-se o teste Qui-quadrado, a partir das variáveis idade e escolaridade maternas, renda familiar e trabalho da mãe fora do lar. RESULTADOS: Os resultados mostram que para aproximadamente 2/3 das crianças foram oferecidos, antes dos 12 meses, alimentos com potencial obesogênico, como macarrão instantâneo, salgadinhos, bolacha recheada, suco artificial, refrigerante e bala/pirulito/chocolate. São os filhos de mães com baixa escolaridade, mais jovens e com menor renda, os mais susceptíveis ao erro alimentar de introdução precoce de alimentos industrializados. CONCLUSÃO: Diante desses resultados, medidas educativas e preventivas devem ser propostas para a formação de hábitos alimentares saudáveis desde a infância, além da criação de campanhas abrangentes e efetivas que estimulem o consumo de frutas e hortaliças, considerando-se os fatores culturais, comportamentais e afetivos envolvidos com a alimentação.

Meal timing relative to sleep/wake schedules is relevant in the search for obesity risk factors. However, clock time does not accurately characterize the timing of food intake in the context of internal circadian timing. Therefore, we studied elapsed between dinner and the midpoint of sleep (TDM) as a practical approach to evaluate meal timing relative to internal timing, and its implications on obesity. To do so, adiposity, sleep, diet, physical activity, and TDM were measured in 133 women. The participants were grouped into four categories according to their sleep timing behavior (early-bed/early-rise; early-bed/late-rise; late-bed/early-rise; late-bed/late-rise). Differences among the categories were tested using ANOVA, while restricted cubic splines were calculated to study the association between TDM and adiposity. Our results show that, although participants had dinner at about the same time, those that had the shortest TDM (early-bed/early-rise group) were found to have significantly higher BMI and waist circumference values (2.3 kg/m2 and 5.2 cm) than the other groups. In addition, a TDM of 6 h was associated with the lowest values of adiposity. The TDM could be a practical approach to personalizing meal timing based on individual sleep/wake schedules. Thus, according to our findings, dining 6 h before the midpoint of sleep is an important finding and could be vital for future nutritional recommendations and for obesity prevention and treatment.

BackgroundIn Brazil, population-based researches analyzing prevalence and factors associated with metabolic syndrome (MS), a recognized predictor of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), and an important cause of disability and death in the country are scarce.ObjectiveTo evaluate prevalence of MS and its associated factors in Brazilian population.MethodsSecondary analysis of the 2013 National Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey with national representativeness of Brazilian adult population (n = 59,402). MS was the outcome variable, defined from harmonization of cardiology international consensus as load ≥ 3 of the following components: self-reported diabetes and hypercholesterolemia, high blood pressure and high waist circumference. Analysis were stratified by sex and prevalence ratios, with their respective 99% confidence intervals (PR [CI 99%]) calculated by simple and multiple Poisson regression models.ResultsMS prevalence was 8.9%, being significantly higher among women compared to men; in general, this pattern was maintained in relation to exposure variables studied. Additionally, less than 25% of population did not present any MS component. In final multiple models, sociodemographic, behavioral and comorbidity variables were associated with MS, however, while low schooling (1.46 [1.23-1.74], cerebrovascular accident (1.36 [1], 00] (1.28 [1.03-1.62]) were associated among women, chronic renal failure (1.85 [2.23-2.76]) was associated exclusively among men.ConclusionWe identified MS high prevalence in Brazilian population; on the other hand, factors associated with this condition were different depending on sex.

A B S T R A C T ObjectiveThis study assessed menu quality and plate waste in public day care centers of São Paulo (SP), Brazil. MethodsThis cross-sectional study collected data from the nurseries of seven day care centers, totaling 366 children aged 12 to 36 months. Each day care center was assessed for three days, totaling 42 days and 210 meals. Menu quality was assessed by the Qualitative Analysis of Menu Preparations method (Análise Qualitativa das Preparações do Cardápio), adapted for day care centers, which provides nutritional and sensory criteria. Food waste was determined by the Plate Waste-Ingestion Index. ResultsThe supply of vegetables was inadequate in more than 90% of the days, and the amount of leafy vegetables and high-sulfur foods met the recommended amounts on 50% of the days. The supply of sweets and foods containing trans fatty acids was considerable. The Plate Waste-Ingestion Index for daycare centers varied from 25% to 43%, and the Plate Waste-Ingestion Index for food items varied from 11% to 47%.

OBJECTIVE: Identifying at what age infants enrolled in public day care centers are introduced to soft drinks and industrialized juice, as well as comparing the nutritional composition of these goods with natural fruit juice. METHODS: A cross-sectional study with the mothers of 636 children (aged 0 to 36 months) from nurseries of day care centers, who were asked questions about the age of feeding introduction. This study evaluated the proximate composition of soft drinks and artificial juice, comparing them with those of natural fruit juice regarding energy, sugar, fiber, vitamin C, and sodium values. The chemical composition of fruit juice was obtained by consulting the Table of Food Composition and, for industrialized drinks, the average nutritional information on the labels of the five most consumed product brands. RESULTS: The artificial drinks were consumed before the first year of life by more than half of the children studied, however, approximately 10% consumed them before the age of 6 months. With regard to the comparison among the drinks, artificial fruit juice beverages and soft drinks proved to contain from nine to 13 times higher amounts of sodium, and 15 times less vitamin C than natural juices. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of soft drinks and industrialized juice in the diet of infants was inopportune and premature.. When compared to natural fruit juice, these have inferior nutritional composition, which suggests the urgent need for measures based on strategies for food and nutrition education in order to promote awareness and the maintenance of healthy eating habits.

Objective: To identify the age at which ultra-processed foods are introduced in the diet of infants enrolled in public daycare centers and analyze these foods' nutritional composition according to the Traffic Light Labelling system adapted to the Brazilian norms and recommendations.Methods: Cross-sectional study including 636 nursery age children attending day care centers. Their mothers were interviewed about the age of introduction of instant noodles, snack chips, encased meat, chocolate, ice cream, and stuffed cookies. The proximate composition of these foods was evaluated according to the Traffic Light Labelling adapted to the Brazilian norms and recommendations, which classifies total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, fiber, and sodium amounts as green, yellow, or red indicators.Results: It was found that before 12 months of age 70.6% of children had consumed instant noodles, 65.9% snack chips, 54.7% encased meat, 67.1% chocolate, 36.9% ice cream, and 68.7% stuffed cookies. In addition, all foods were classified as red for saturated fat and sodium and 50.0% were classified as red for total fat.Conclusion: The introduction of ultra-processed foods in the children's diets occurred early, but it is worth mentioning that such foods have an inadequate nutritional composition, contributing to the excess consumption of total fat, saturated fat, and sodium, as well as low fiber.

Objective: To identify the age of introduction of petit suisse cheese and instant noodles in the diet of infants attending nurseries of public day care centers and to compare the nutritional composition of these foods with the healthy recommended diet (breast milk and salt meal) for this age, in order to estimate nutritional errors. Methods:Cross-sectional study of 366 children (from nine to 36 months old) who attended day care centers, whose mothers were interviewed about the age of introduction of those foods. The means of the nutrients indicated on the labels of the most consumed brands were considered. For the calculation of the percent composition of breast milk and salt meal, Tables of Food Composition were used. To assess the nutritional adequacy, we used the Dietary Reference Intakes by age group. The percentage of adequacy evaluation of the petit suisse cheese and the instant noodles nutritional compositions was made by comparing them with those of the human milk and the salt meal, respectively. Results:The petit suisse cheese and the instant noodles were consumed by 89.6 and 65.3% of the children in the first year of life. The percentages of adequacy for carbohydrates were more than twice and the percentages for sodium were 20 times higher than those found in the recommended foods. Conclusions:Both industrialized products are inappropriate for infants, emphasizing the need for adoption of norms that can inform health professionals, educators and parents about the risks of consumption.