Consumo alimentar de crianças e adolescentes

Abstract

Introduction: Public policies have emphasized the concern for healthy and quality food in childhood and adolescence. The objective of the present study was to describe the food consumption of children and adolescents. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional study with individuals aged 5 to 19 years. A standardized questionnaire was used to collect demographic and socioeconomic data, including the following information: age, sex, ethnicity, family income, physical activity, and sitting time. A food consumption questionnaire was applied for children and adolescents and the foods consumed were classified according to the NOVA. Descriptive analyzes were performed for the variables. Results: Four hundred and eighty individuals, mean age of 11.1 ± 3.6 years participated in the study. The median of body mass index Z score was 0.63 (-0.12; 1.62), and 185 (39.8%) participants were classified as overweight or obese. The mean body fat percentage was 22.9 ± 10.5%, considered elevated in 133 (28.7%) children and adolescents. Regarding of fresh or processed foods consumption, it was observed that the majority of children and adolescents consumed rice (n = 399, 83%), milk (n = 299, 62.3%), beans (n=291, 60.6%), and pork (n = 284, 59.2%). On the other hand, the number of children and adolescents who consumed ultraprocessed foods daily was high, especially for the category of candies (n = 311, 64.8%), soft drinks (n = 187; 39%), hamburger, hot dog and similar breads (n = 357, 34.4%), and sausages (n =131, 27.5%). Conclusion: The results of the present study demonstrate a high frequency of children and adolescents who consumed ultraprocessed foods daily and low frequency of children and adolescents with daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fish.