Consumo Energético Proveniente De Alimentos Ultraprocessados Por Adolescentes

Abstract

ASTRACTObjective: To evaluate the consumption of ultra-processed foods and related factors in adolescents.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 784 adolescents (both sexes and aged between 12 and 19 years) from public and private schools in the municipality of Palmeira das Missões, Brazil. Food consumption was recorded by the semiquantitative questionnaire of frequency of food consumption and converted to energy (kcal/day). Foods were classified as minimally processed, group 1 (G1); processed foods, group 2 (G2); and ultra-processed foods, group 3 (G3). The variables evaluated were sex, socioeconomic class, color, physical activity, body mass index, and blood pressure levels. In the comparison of quantitative variables, the Mann-Whitney test and the Kruskal-Wallis H test were used. To adjust the differences between the groups, considering the effects of total calories, the covariance analysis test (ANCOVA) was applied.Results: The median of the total energy consumption was 3,039.8 kcal, and that of ultra-processed foods was 1,496.5 kcal/day (49.23%). The caloric intake from foods in G1, G2, and G3 did not differ according to the skin color of the adolescents. Those belonging to socioeconomic classes C and D are the most frequent consumers of calories from G2 and G3 (p<0.001). Underactive teens consume fewer calories from minimally processed foods. Eutrophic adolescents present higher consumption of G3 foods (p<0.001) when compared to those who are overweight.Conclusions: The consumption of ultra-processed foods was associated with socioeconomic level, physical activity level, and nutritional status.

Impact of Bean Consumption on Nutritional Outcomes amongst Adolescents

“…Our results show that they consume more ultra-processed foods and fewer FV and culinary preparations, which can lead to increases in BMI and LDL-c [19]. In this regard, our results disagree with studies that showed an association between sedentary or insufficiently active adolescents and higher prevalence of daily consumption of ultra-processed foods or lower intake of unprocessed or minimally processed foods, as the study pointed to a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods among eutrophic adolescents, compared to those with excess weight [14,46]. It should be noted, however, that body mass index does not differentiate fat and lean mass.…”

Ultra-processed food consumption and obesity in adolescents

“…The lack of an association between ultra-processed food consumption and obesity in adolescents observed in the present study is different from other studies that also investigated the same relationship [4][5][6]24]. A study of a representative sample of Brazilian adolescents and adults [4] identified a relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and obesity.…”

“…In the present study, higher income was associated with a higher contribution of ultraprocessed foods in the diets of adolescents, which contradicts the evidence presented in other studies and reveals a negative association between income and the contribution of ultra-processed foods to the diet [24,31]. It is possible that such a discrepancy is due to the homogeneity of the studied sample, which consists predominantly of low-income youth.…”

“…The higher contribution of ultra-processed foods (50.6%) to total calories found in the present study is in agreement with the findings of other national and international studies, both in adult populations and in younger populations [23]. In a survey performed in a municipality in southern Brazil, ultra-processed foods contributed 49.0% of the total calories ingested by adolescents [24]. Similar results were found in Canada (51.2%) [3], the United States (57.9%) [25] and the United Kingdom (50.4%) [26], where diets also contained predominantly ultra-processed foods.…”

Comercialização de alimentos em cantinas no âmbito escolar

“…Esses alimentos são desbalanceados nutricionalmente, pois são ricos em gorduras, sódio e/ou açúcares, e tendem a ser pobres em vitaminas, minerais e fibras, que são importantes para a prevenção de doenças coronarianas, diabetes e vários tipos de câncer (Brasil, 2014). A baixa qualidade nutricional desses alimentos impacta negativamente na saúde dos indivíduos, sendo seu consumo relacionado com alteração do perfil lipídico em crianças, presença de síndrome metabólica na adolescência e obesidade em adolescentes e adultos (Costa et al, 2018;D'Avila & Kirsten, 2017).…”