Association between the community food environment and dietary patterns in residents of areas of different socio-economic levels of a southern capital city in Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to verify the association between the community food environment and dietary patterns in a population of different socioeconomic levels. This cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 400 adults and elderly aged between 20 and 70 years residing in the central area of Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Four dietary patterns were explored: healthy, traditional Brazilian, refined carbohydrates and sugars, and fast food. The community food environment included the identification of all food stores by areas where individuals lived and auditing based on the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey in Stores (NEMS-S) score. Poisson regression was used to estimate the prevalence ratios (PRs) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). After the adjustment for individual sociodemographic characteristics, residents of the area with the best community food environment (highest NEMS-S score) had 12% and 18% lower probabilities of high consumption (upper tertile) of the traditional (PR = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.78–0.98) and refined carbohydrate and sugar (PR = 0.82; 95% CI, 0.73–0.92) dietary patterns, respectively, compared to those living in the area with the worst community food environment (lowest NEMS-S score). Healthy and fast food dietary patterns showed no association with the community food environment. In conclusion, the community food environment is a factor associated with the consumption of certain dietary patterns, independent of individual sociodemographic characteristics. Thus, aspects of the community food environment become important in food and nutrition actions and policies aimed at health promotion.

Direct and indirect associations of experience of racial discrimination, dietary patterns and obesity in adults from southern Brazil

“…Hence, studies that are reduced to just one nutrient, food or food group are not able to account for how these elements may act in combination. DP, identified through last year’s food consumption, also has been described as a better approach to understanding the relationship between diet and long latency outcomes, such as obesity ( 33 ) , and also can be better to evaluate associations to life course experiences of racial discrimination. However, as a posteriori method, DP varies between populations, and further studies with this approach should be carried out to deeply explore its association with racial discrimination.…”

“…Previous studies conducted with the same sample unveiled racial disparities in health within this population. The neighbourhoods with the highest percentage of Black residents were associated with lower income and exhibited the poorest food environments, marked by a limited availability of healthy foods ( 33 ) . Moreover, individuals identifying as Black and Brown were found to be more likely to experience overweight ( 35 ) .…”