Background: Over the past three decades, the prevalence rate of overweight and obesity has increased in survivors with congenital heart disease, and little is known about the body composition and its association with clinical characteristics and lifestyle factors.Objectives: To evaluate excess total-body adiposity and central adiposity and, to describe associated factors.Methods: Cross-sectional study with children and adolescents who underwent procedure to treat congenital heart disease, from January to July 2017. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and lifestyle factors (dietary intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior) were assessed. Adiposity was assessed using air-displacement plethysmography and waist circumference. Factors associated with excess total-body adiposity and central adiposity were analyzed using logistic regression models. Results: Of 232 patients, 22.4% were identified with excess total-body adiposity and 24.6% with central adiposity. Significant factors positively associated with excess total-body adiposity were intake of added sugar and trans fatty acids, adjusted for confounding factors. Similarly, lifestyle factors were positively associated with central adiposity: intake of added sugar and trans fatty acids, sedentary behavior, and family history of obesity. Conclusions: Lifestyle factors were associated with excess total-body adiposity and central adiposity. Assessment of body composition and healthy-lifestyle counseling into outpatient care may be the key point to prevent obesity in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease.

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Background: Subclinical atherosclerosis in childhood can be evaluated by carotid intima-media thickness, which is considered a surrogate marker for atherosclerotic disease in adulthood. The aims of this study were to evaluate carotid intima-media thickness and, to investigate associated factors. Methods: Cross-sectional study with children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD). Socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed. Subclinical atherosclerosis was evaluated by carotid intima-media thickness. Cardiovascular risk factors, such as physical activity, screen time, passive smoke, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, waist circumference, dietary intake, lipid parameters, glycaemia, and C-reactive protein, were also assessed. Factors associated with carotid intima-media thickness were analysed using multiple logistic regression. Results: The mean carotid intima-media thickness was 0.518 mm and 46.7% had subclinical atherosclerosis (carotid intima-media thickness ≥ 97th percentile). After adjusting for confounding factors, cyanotic CHD (odds ratio: 0.40; 95% confidence interval: 0.20; 0.78), cardiac surgery (odds ratio: 3.17; 95% confidence interval: 1.35; 7.48), and be hospitalised to treat infections (odds ratio: 1.92; 95% confidence interval: 1.04; 3.54) were associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. Conclusion: Clinical characteristics related to CHD were associated with subclinical atherosclerosis. This finding suggests that the presence of CHD itself is a risk factor for subclinical atherosclerosis. Therefore, the screen and control of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors should be made early and intensively to prevent atherosclerosis.

Nível de satisfação e escolhas alimentares dos comensais em restaurante self-service Satisfaction level and food choices of diners in a self-service restaurant Resumo Nos últimos anos, houve um aumento da alimentação fora de casa, juntamente com a alta concorrência nos serviços de alimentação e a preocupação com a saúde dos comensais. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a satisfação dos comensais quanto aos serviços oferecidos e suas escolhas alimentares em um restaurante self-service. A amostra do estudo totalizou 148 indivíduos, os quais avaliaram os serviços prestados em relação aos seguintes critérios: aparência dos alimentos, apresentação do bufê, variedade, temperatura das saladas, sobremesas e pratos quentes, sabor das refeições, tempero, atendimento, higiene e limpeza do local e avaliação geral. A satisfação dos comensais em relação ao serviço prestado, no geral, teve avaliação positiva, indicando bom grau de contentamento. Em relação às escolhas alimentares, verificou-se grande influência dos fatores aparência, sabor, variedade, forma de preparo, valor nutricional e alimentos que fazem bem à saúde. A avaliação da satisfação e as escolhas alimentares dos comensais para restaurantes self-service são ferramentas que ajudam a determinar o perfil dos comensais e a realidade da unidade, visando melhorar os serviços prestados.

The excessive intake of ultra-processed foods (UPF) is associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk. However, the effect of UPF intake on cardiovascular health in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD) is unknown. The aim of the present study was to describe UPF intake and evaluate associations with isolated cardiovascular risk factors and children and adolescents with CHD clustered by cardiovascular risk factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 232 children and adolescents with CHD. Dietary intake was assessed using three 24-hour recalls. UPFs were categorized using the NOVA classification. The cardiovascular risk factors evaluated were central adiposity, elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and subclinical atherosclerosis. The clustering of cardiovascular risk factors (waist circumference, hs-CRP and carotid intima-media thickness) was performed, allocating the participants to two groups (high versus low cardiovascular risk). UPFs contributed 40.69% (SD 6.21) to total energy intake. The main UPF groups were ready-to-eat and take-away/fast foods (22.2% energy from UPFs). The multivariable logistic regression revealed that an absolute increase of 10% in UPF intake (OR=1.90; 95% CI: 1.01;3.58) was associated with central adiposity. An absolute increase of 10% in UPF intake (OR=3.77; 95% CI: 1.80;7.87) was also associated with children and adolescents with CHD clustered by high cardiovascular risk after adjusting for confounding factors. Our findings demonstrate that UPF intake should be considered a modifiable risk factor for obesity and its cardiovascular consequences in children and adolescents with CHD.

Objective: To describe the changes in lifestyle behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease and to investigate the association of congenital heart disease complexity with lifestyle behavior changes. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 127 children and adolescents with congenital heart disease, who underwent cardiac procedure (mean postoperative time: 10.11±3.13 years), conducted between December 2020 and January 2021. Lifestyle behaviors, such as dietary intake, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep, were assessed through telephone interview based on validated questionnaires. Dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis. Frequency of general and specific combinations of healthy and unhealthy lifestyle behavior changes was evaluated. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to test the association between congenital heart disease complexity and changes in lifestyle behavior. Results: The main lifestyle behaviors acquired during pandemic were: 83.5% decreased physical activity; 37.0% increased sedentary behavior; 26.0% slept more than usual; and 23.6% adopted a less-healthy dietary pattern. Almost half of the participants (41.8%) had at least one unhealthy change in lifestyle behavior. Complex congenital heart diseases were associated with increased sedentary behavior (OR 3.49, 95%CI 1.23–9.90). Conclusions: Children and adolescents with congenital heart disease had unhealthy lifestyle behavior during the pandemic, mainly in the form of reduced physical activity and increased sedentary behavior.

Little is known about skipping breakfast and breakfast patterns (BP) and their evaluation according to sociodemographic, clinical, lifestyle, cardiometabolic and nutritional data in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD). This cross-sectional study with 232 children and adolescents with CHD identified the prevalence and patterns of the breakfast, described these according to sociodemographic, clinical and lifestyle characteristics, and assessed their association with cardiometabolic and nutritional markers. Breakfast patterns were identified by principal components, and bivariate and linear regression analysis were applied. Breakfast consumption was observed in 73% of participants. Four BP were identified: pattern 1 “milk, ultra-processed bread, and chocolate milk”, pattern 2 “margarine and processed bread”, pattern 3 “cold meats/sausages, cheeses and butter/cream” and pattern 4 “fruits/fruit juices, breakfast cereals, yogurts, and homemade cakes/pies and sweet snacks”. Family history for obesity and acyanotic CHD were associated with breakfast skipping. Younger participants and greater maternal education were associated with greater adherence to pattern 1 and pattern 4. Older participants and longer post-operative time showed greater adherence to pattern 3. No association between skipping breakfast or BP and cardiometabolic and nutritional markers was observed. Nonetheless, the findings reinforce the need for nutritional guidance for healthy breakfast, aiming to reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods and to prioritize fresh and minimally processed foods.

Background: Children and adolescents with congenital heart disease may be more likely to develop atherogenic cardiovascular diseases in adulthood. Therefore, the early identification of risk factors and intervention in childhood may be crucial for a good quality of life and longevity.Objectives: To describe the distribution of high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-c) levels and its association with socioeconomic, clinical and cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease.Methods: Cross-sectional study with children and adolescents aged between 5 and 18 years, with congenital heart disease. Socioeconomic, clinical and cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated. HDL-c concentrations were evaluated by the direct method and categorized as desirable (>45 mg/dL), borderline (40-45 mg/dL) and low (<40 mg/dL). We also assessed the "undesirable" levels, consisting of the sum of "borderline" and "low" values for comparative purposes. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the factor associated with undesirable HDL-c levels. A p<0.05 value was adopted as statistically significant.Results: Mean HDL-c was 51.2 mg/dL (SD 12.6), with a prevalence of 33.2% of undesirable HDL-c. In the multivariate analysis, C-reactive protein levels ≥ 3mg/dL (OR 3.26; 95% CI 1.32-8.04), age ≥ 10 years old (OR: 2.11; 95% CI 1.12-3.99) and undesirable levels of triglycerides (OR 2.21; 95% CI 1.13-4.75) were associated with undesirable HDL-c. Conclusion:In this sample of children and adolescents with congenital heart disease, almost one third presented low or borderline HDL-c levels. Age ≥10 years, C-reactive protein and triglycerides were associated with undesirable HDL-c levels. These factors should be considered in the prevention of cerebrovascular diseases in adulthood in this population.