Factors Associated with the Practice of Low-Carb and Low-Fat Diets among Participants of the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).

In the field of nutrition, both low-carbohydrate (LCD) and low-fat (LFD) diets were initially intended for specific subgroups but are now being embraced by the broader population for various purposes, including aesthetics and overall health. This study aims to assess sociodemographic, health, and lifestyle factors influencing diet choices among public servants in the ELSA-Brasil cohort. Diets were classified as LCD or LFD based on the Brazilian Diabetes Society (<45%) and WHO guidelines (<30%) respectively. A total of 11,294 participants were evaluated (45.3% men; 54.7% women) with a mean age of 52 ± 0.08 years. Having overweight, altered waist circumference, and a history of smoking confers higher chances of adopting an LCD compared to the usual diet, while being over 52 years, non-White race/skin color, in a lower income stratum, and having diagnosis of hypertension and/or diagnosis of diabetes mellitus decrease these chances. Regarding LFDs, belonging to the non-White race/skin color, being over 52 years old, being divorced, and practicing low physical activity decrease the chances of following such a diet compared to the usual diet. In conclusion, factors like age, socioeconomic status, health, and physical activity levels can be the key to understanding why individuals choose restrictive diets beyond clinical advice.

Arterial stiffness and leisure-time physical activity in community health workers: a cross-sectional study / Rigidez arterial e atividade física no lazer em agentes comunitárias de saúde: um estudo transversal

The high prevalences of non-communicable chronic diseases have been increasing in the population, including healthcare professionals, therefore, the association between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and arterial stiffness (AS) was evaluated through a cross-sectional study conducted with female community health workers (CHWs) from Vitória, Espírito Santo. LTPA was assessed using the international physical activity questionnaire, and AS was measured by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV ). Participants were considered active if they engaged in at least 150 minutes per week of moderate LTPA, 150 minutes per week of combined moderate and vigorous LTPA, or 75 minutes per week of vigorous LTPA. Elevated AS was classified using a cut-off point of cfPWV ≥ the 90th percentile, stratified by sex and age group for a healthy population. Statistical tests were performed to compare proportions and means, with a p-value of <0.05 considered significant. A total of 221 CHWs (mean age 47.6 ± 8.6 years) were evaluated. Physical inactivity and elevated AS were observed in approximately 78% and 23% of the participants, respectively. A higher percentage of elevated AS was observed among CHWs who did not meet the LTPA recommendations (22.0%) compared to those who were physically active (6.0%) (p<0.001). Lower mean LTPA (15.6 ± 47.7 minutes per week) was observed among CHWs with elevated AS (p = 0.020). Physical inactivity is associated with elevated arterial stiffness. It is suggested that the promotion of LTPA be encouraged among professionals working on the front line of the Unified Health System, even if they perform work-related physical activities.

As prevalências de doenças crônicas não transmissíveis vêm crescendo na população, incluindo em profissio-nais da saúde, portanto, avaliou-se a ocorrência de rigidez arterial (RA) elevada segundo atividade física no lazer (AFL) através de estudo transversal realizado com agentes comunitárias de saúde (ACS) do sexo feminino de Vitória, Espírito Santo. A AFL foi avaliada pela versão longa do International Physical Ac-tivity Questionnaire e a RA foi mensurada pela Velocidade de Onda de Pulso carotídeo-femoral ( VOPc-f ). As participantes foram consideradas ativas quando praticavam pelo menos 150 minutos/semana de AFL moderada ou 150 minutos/semana da soma da AFL moderada e vigorosa ou 75 minutos/semana de AFL vigorosa. Para a classificação da RA elevada foi utilizado o ponto de corte que considera valor de VOPc-f ≥ ao percentil 90 estratificado por sexo e faixa etária para população saudável. Foram executados testes estatísticos para comparação de proporções e médias. Um valor de p<0,05 foi considerado significativo. Foram avaliadas 221 ACS (média de idade 47,6 ± 8,6 anos). Observou-se inatividade física no lazer e RA elevada em cerca de 78% e 23% das participantes, respectivamente. Foi evidenciado maior percentual de RA elevada entre as ACS que não atingiram a recomendação de AFL (22,0%) em comparação às ativas fisicamente (6,0%) (p<0,001). Menores médias de AFL (15,6 ± 47,7) foram observadas entre as ACS com RA elevada (p = 0,020). Conclui-se que a ocorrência de RA elevada foi maior entre as ACS inativas no lazer. Sugere-se que a promoção de AFL seja estimulada entre os profissionais que trabalham na linha de frente do Sistema Único de Saúde, ainda que realizem atividades físicas relacionadas ao trabalho.

Tendência temporal da inserção de nutricionistas no Sistema Único de Saúde segundo regiões do Brasil no período de 2009 a 2018 / Temporal trend of the insertion of nutritionists in the Unified Health System according to regions of Brazil in the period from 2009 to 2018

O campo científico da nutrição emerge com maior intensidade no início do século XX, sendo considerado um fenômeno relativamente recente. No Brasil, a formação do nutricionista teve início na década de 1940, quando se obteve a primeira geração de médicos nutrólogos e a criação dos quatro primeiros cursos do país. Estudos sobre a inserção dos nutricionistas no âmbito do SUS são escassos. Assim, o presente artigo tem por objetivo avaliar a tendência temporal da inserção de nutricionistas nos Sistema Único de Saúde no período de 2009 a 2018. Trata-se de um estudo observacional, descritivo, realizado a partir de dados secundários fornecidos pelo IBGE e CNES. A análise dos dados possibilitou a obtenção da quantidade e distribuição de nutricionistas por região/unidade da federação e ano de competência. A tabulação dos dados foi realizada no TabWin versão 4.15 e as análises foram realizadas com o uso dos Softwares Microsoft Excel 2016® e Stata 15.0. Observou-se uma tendência temporal de aumento do número de nutricionistas no país com velocidade maior de crescimento na região nordeste e menor na região sudeste, que registrou a maior densidade de profissionais. A região norte apresentou o menor número de nutricionistas. Acredita-se que o perfil observado pode estar relacionado com a oferta salarial, com características específicas e com a intensidade de criação dos cursos de nutrição em cada região.

The scientific field of nutrition emerged with greater intensity at the beginning of the 20th century and is considered a relatively recent phenomenon. In Brazil, the training of a nutritionist began in the 1940s, when the first generation of medical nutritionists was obtained as well as the creation of the first four courses in the country. Studies on the insertion of nutritionists in the scope of UHS are scarce. Thus, this article aims to assess the temporal trend of the insertion of nutritionists in the Unified Health System from 2009 to 2018. This is an observational, descriptive study, carried out from secondary data provided by BIGS and NRHF. Data analysis made it possible to obtain the quantity and distribution of nutritionists by region/federation unit and year of competence. The data were tabulated using TabWin version 4.15, and the analyses were performed using Microsoft Excel 2016® and Stata 15.0 software. There was a temporal trend towards an increase in the number of nutritionists in the country, with a higher growth rate in the northeast region and a lower one in the southeast region, which registered the highest density of professionals. The northern region had the lowest number of nutritionists. It is believed that the profile observed may be related to the salary offered, specific characteristics, and the intensity of nutrition courses created in each region.