Association between time of exposure to screens and food consumption of children aged 2 to 9 years during the COVID-19 pandemic / Associação entre tempo de exposição às telas e consumo alimentar de crianças de dois a nove anos durante a pandemia de COVID-19

Abstract Objective: To identify and map families' time of exposure to screens during the COVID-19 pandemic and to associate it with the frequency of children's food consumption. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study carried out with parents or guardians of children aged between 2 and 9 years through an online questionnaire. The participants answered questions about socioeconomic data, family's screen habits, and children's food consumption. Results: A total of 517 parents or guardians participated in the research. Children's median age when first exposed to screens was 6 months (interquartile range: 1-12 months). The average number of hours that children and guardians/parents were exposed to electronic devices was 3.9±2.3 and 9.0±2.9 respectively. As for food consumption, 60.9% of the guardians/parents and 54.3% of the children had the habit of having meals in front of screens. In addition, the consumption of snacks outside mealtimes, while using screens, was frequent in both groups. Conclusions: Children aged 2 to 9 years are excessively exposed to screens and the consumption of meals or snacks while using the devices is frequent. Considering the current demands of the pandemic, the necessity of using electronic devices is understandable. However, the authors emphasize the importance to educate families regarding limiting the use of screens, especially during meals, and monitoring the content of activities with electronic devices, as this exposure can influence food consumption and affect children's nutritional status and health.

RESUMO Objetivo: Identificar e mapear o tempo de exposição das famílias às telas durante a pandemia de COVID-19 e associá-lo com a frequência de consumo alimentar das crianças. Métodos: Trata-se de um estudo transversal, realizado com pais ou responsáveis de crianças de dois a nove anos de idade por meio de um questionário online. Participantes responderam a perguntas sobre dados socioeconômicos, hábitos familiares de uso de telas e consumo alimentar das crianças. Resultados: Participaram da pesquisa 517 pais ou responsáveis. A mediana de idade em que as crianças foram expostas pela primeira vez às telas foi de seis meses (intervalo interquartil: 1-12 meses). A média de horas durante as quais as crianças e os responsáveis ficavam expostos aos aparelhos eletrônicos foi de 3,9±2,3 e 9,0±2,9, respectivamente. Sobre o consumo de alimentos, 60,9% dos responsáveis e 54,3% das crianças tinham o hábito de realizar refeições em frente às telas. Além disso, o consumo de petiscos fora do horário das refeições, durante o uso de telas, foi frequente em ambos os grupos. Conclusões: Crianças de dois a nove anos estão expostas excessivamente às telas e o consumo de refeições ou petiscos durante o uso dos aparelhos é frequente. Diante das demandas atuais da pandemia, entende-se a importância do uso dos eletrônicos, porém reforça-se a necessidade de educar as famílias em relação à importância de limitar o uso de telas, especialmente durante as refeições, e de monitorar o conteúdo das atividades com telas, pois essa exposição pode influenciar a alimentação e repercutir no estado nutricional e na saúde das crianças.

Association between time of exposure to screens and food consumption of children aged 2 to 9 years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and map families' time of exposure to screens during the COVID-19 pandemic and to associate it with the frequency of children's food consumption. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study carried out with parents or guardians of children aged between 2 and 9 years through an online questionnaire. The participants answered questions about socioeconomic data, family's screen habits, and children's food consumption. RESULTS: A total of 517 parents or guardians participated in the research. Children's median age when first exposed to screens was 6 months (interquartile range: 1-12 months). The average number of hours that children and guardians/parents were exposed to electronic devices was 3.9±2.3 and 9.0±2.9 respectively. As for food consumption, 60.9% of the guardians/parents and 54.3% of the children had the habit of having meals in front of screens. In addition, the consumption of snacks outside mealtimes, while using screens, was frequent in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Children aged 2 to 9 years are excessively exposed to screens and the consumption of meals or snacks while using the devices is frequent. Considering the current demands of the pandemic, the necessity of using electronic devices is understandable. However, the authors emphasize the importance to educate families regarding limiting the use of screens, especially during meals, and monitoring the content of activities with electronic devices, as this exposure can influence food consumption and affect children's nutritional status and health.

"What can I do when he/she doesn't want to eat?": Maternal strategies for ensure children's food consumption in early childhood.

This cross-sectional analysis aimed to analyze the strategies used by mothers of children aged 2-3 to ensure their food consumption as well as to investigate the maternal and family characteristics associated with using these strategies. Data of 463 mothers who use the public health care system in Porto Alegre, Brazil, were analyzed. Among these mothers, 58.5% (n = 271) used some type of strategy. However, 42.4% (n = 115) of mothers did not identify their behavior as a strategy to ensure their children's food consumption. In regard to the type of strategy used, 69% (n = 187) were classified as information strategies and 43.2% (n = 117) as trading strategies. Maternal age and educational level were inversely associated with the use of trading strategies (p < 0.05), indicating that the adolescent mothers and mothers with less schooling more often used strategies that have been shown by the literature not to be conducive to positive long-term results. In 46.9% (n = 123) of the cases, some types of food were involved in the mothers' strategies, generally ultra-processed foods (46.3% n = 57). We conclude that the use of strategies to promote children's food consumption considered appropriate by the mothers is a fairly common practice. Health care professionals should consider mothers' perceptions and attitudes about the subject in order to conseil them as to the best feeding practices for their children, as the use of these strategies can be detrimental to the formation of eating behaviors.

Mothers' perceptions of their own diets and the diets of their children at 2-3 years of age.

This is a cross-sectional analysis of a follow-up study to examine the perceptions of mothers treated at public health centers, regarding their own diets and the diets of their children aged 2-3. Among the 464 participants, 57% (n = 267) reported perceiving their own diets as unhealthy while 72% (n = 334) perceiving their children's diets as healthy. The mothers' perceptions of their own diets as healthy were associated with less maternal schooling and having received health care from professionals who had received special training (p < 0.05). The mothers' perceptions of their children's diets as healthy were associated with more maternal schooling (p < 0.05). This difference between the mothers' perceptions of their own diets and those of their children reinforce the importance of considering maternal beliefs and attitudes in infant nutritional intervention programs.

Mothers' perceptions of their own diets and the diets of their children at 2-3 years of age

Abstract This is a cross-sectional analysis of a follow-up study to examine the perceptions of mothers treated at public health centers, regarding their own diets and the diets of their children aged 2-3. Among the 464 participants, 57% (n= 267) reported perceiving their own diets as unhealthy while 72% (n= 334) perceiving their children's diets as healthy. The mothers' perceptions of their own diets as healthy were associated with less maternal schooling and having received health care from professionals who had received special training (p< 0.05). The mothers' perceptions of their children's diets as healthy were associated with more maternal schooling (p< 0.05). This difference between the mothers' perceptions of their own diets and those of their children reinforce the importance of considering maternal beliefs and attitudes in infant nutritional intervention programs.

Óleos e gorduras: utilização no processo produtivo de restaurantes comerciais de Porto Alegre / Oils and fats: use in the production process of commercial restaurants in Porto Alegre, Brazil

In this study, we aimed to identify the types of oils and fats used in the production process of meals and investigate practices to control immersion frying in commercial restaurants. Sixty-two managers of commercial restaurants in the municipality of Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil were interviewed between February and April 2012. The main results showed that soybean oil (91.9%) was the most often used, followed by hydrogenated vegetable fat (35.5%), in the restaurants surveyed. As to immersion frying practices, at the establishments where managers were trained in nutrition, hydrogenated vegetable fat was less used (p<0.05). It is worth mentioning the importance of having vocational education as a tool to promote better practices in using oils and fat to produce healthy food. It is clearly necessary to have specific legislation involving the production processes and sale of meals in accordance with the policies adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

El objetivo del estudio fue identificar los tipos de aceites y grasas utilizados en el proceso productivo de comidas, así como investigar las prácticas en el control de las frituras de inmersión de restaurantes comerciales. Se entrevistó, entre febrero y abril de 2012, a 62 gerentes de restaurantes comerciales de la ciudad de Porto Alegre, RS. Entre los principales resultados, se destaca el aceite de soja (91,9%) como el más utilizado, seguido por la grasa vegetal hidrogenada (35,5%) en los restaurantes que participaron de la encuesta. En lo que se refiere a las prácticas de las frituras de inmersión, en aquellos establecimientos en los que el gestor poseía formación en nutrición, hubo una menor prevalencia del uso de la grasa vegetal hidrogenada (p<0,05). Se destaca la importancia de la educación profesional como herramienta promotora de mejores prácticas en la utilización de aceites y grasas para la producción de alimentos sanos y se observa la necesidad de legislaciones específicas en lo que se refiere a los procesos productivos y a la comercialización de comidas que estén en consonancia con las políticas adoptadas por la Organización Mundial de la Salud.

O objetivo do estudo foi identificar os tipos de óleos e gorduras utilizados no processo produtivo de refeições, bem como investigar as práticas no controle das frituras de imersão de restaurantes comerciais. Foram entrevistados, entre fevereiro e abril de 2012, 62 gerentes de restaurantes comerciais do município de Porto Alegre, RS. Dentre os principais resultados, destaca-se o óleo de soja (91,9%) como o mais utilizado, seguido pela gordura vegetal hidrogenada (35,5%), nos restaurantes pesquisados. Em relação às práticas das frituras de imersão, nos estabelecimentos em que o gestor possuía formação em nutrição, houve menor prevalência do uso da gordura vegetal hidrogenada (p<0,05). Destaca-se a importância da educação profissionalizante como ferramenta promotora de melhores práticas na utilização de óleos e gorduras para produção de alimentos saudáveis e percebe-se a necessidade de legislações específicas relacionadas aos processos produtivos e à comercialização de refeições que sejam consoantes às políticas adotadas pela Organização Mundial de Saúde.

Associação entre ganho de peso no primeiro ano de vida com excesso de peso e adiposidade abdominal na idade pré-escolar / Association between weight gain in the first year of life with excess weight and abdominal adiposity at preschool age / Asociación entre ganancia de peso en el primer año de vida con exceso de peso y de adiposidad abdominal en la edad pre-escolar

OBJETIVO: Avaliar se a mudança no escore Z do índice de massa corpórea por idade >0,67 no primeiro ano de vida se associou ao excesso de peso na idade pré-escolar. MÉTODOS: Estudo de coorte aninhado a ensaio de campo randomizado realizado na cidade de São Leopoldo, no Rio Grande do Sul. Foram coletados dados de peso e estatura das crianças ao nascimento, dos seis aos oito meses e dos 12 aos 16 meses. Aos três e aos quatro anos, além destes dados aferiu-se a circunferência da cintura. Calculou-se o ganho de peso pela diferença no escore Z do índice de massa corpórea/idade dos 12 até os 16 meses em relação ao índice de massa corpórea/idade ao nascimento, adotando-se ponto de corte >0,67 para ganho de peso excessivo. A relação cintura/estatura foi realizada, considerando-se excesso de adiposidade central se valores >0,5. Utilizou-se a análise multivariada para o teste da associação entre os desfechos e as variáveis independentes. RESULTADOS: A prevalência do ganho de peso excessivo no primeiro ano de vida foi de 29,5% de um total de 338 crianças. Após ajuste para as variáveis sexo, grupo, peso ao nascer, tempo de aleitamento materno exclusivo e índice de massa corpórea da mãe, a mudança no escore Z >0,67 do nascimento até os 12 a 16 meses apresentou-se como fator de risco para o excesso de peso (RR 2,81; IC95% 1,53-5,16) e elevada relação cintura/altura na idade pré-escolar (RR 2,10; IC95% 1,19-3,72). CONCLUSÕES: O ganho de peso excessivo no primeiro ano de vida está associado ao excesso de peso e à elevada adiposidade abdominal na idade pré-escolar.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the change in body mass index Z-score for age >0.67 in the first year of life was associated with overweight at preschool age. METHODS: A cohort study nested in a randomized field trial conducted in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil. Data on weight and height of children at birth, from six to eight, and from 12 to 16 months were collected. From ages three to four, besides these data, waist circumference was measured. Weight gain was calculated by the difference in body mass index/age Z-score from 12 to 16 months in relation to that at birth, adopting as cutoff >0.67 Z-score for weight gain. Waist-to-height ratio was calculated, and the excess of central adiposity was considered for values >0.5. Multivariate analysis to test the association between outcomes and independent variables was applied. RESULTS: The prevalence of excessive weight gain in the first year of life was 29.5% out of the 338 studied children. After adjustment for gender, origin group, birth weight, duration of exclusive breastfeeding and mother's body mass index, the change in >0.67 Z-score from birth to 12 to 16 months was an independent risk factor for overweight (RR 2.81, 95%CI 1.53-5.16) and for elevated waist-to-height ratio (RR 2.10, 95%CI 1.19-3.72) in preschool age. CONCLUSIONS: Excessive weight gain in the first year of life was associated with overweight and high abdominal adiposity at preschool age.

OBJETIVO: Evaluar si el cambio en el escore Z del Índice de Masa Corporal (IMC) por edad >0,67 en el primer año de vida se asoció al exceso de peso en la edad pre-escolar. MÉTODOS: Estudio de cohorte aunado a ensayo de campo aleatorio realizado en la ciudad de São Leopoldo (Rio Grande do Sul). Se recogieron datos de peso y estatura de los niños al nacer, 6 a 8 y 12 a 16 meses. A los 3 a 4 años de edad, se verificó también la circunferencia de la cintura. Se calculó la ganancia de peso por la diferencia en el escore Z de IMC/Edad a los 12 a 16 meses respecto al IMC/Edad al nacer, adoptando punto de corte >0,67 para ganancia de peso excesiva. Relación cintura/estatura fue realizada, considerando exceso de adiposidad central valores >0,5. Se utilizó el análisis multivariado para probar la asociación entre los desenlaces y las variables independientes. RESULTADOS: La prevalencia de ganancia de peso excesiva en el primer año de vida fue de 29,5% de un total de 338 niños. Después del ajuste para las variables sexo, grupo, peso al nacer, tiempo de lactancia materna exclusiva e IMC de la madre, el cambio en el escore z >0,67 del nacimiento hasta los 12 a 16 meses se presentó como factor de riesgo para excesos de peso (RR 2,81; IC95% 1,53-5,16) y elevada relación cintura/altura en la edad pre-escolar (RR 2,10; IC95% 1,19-3,72). CONCLUSIÓN: Ganancia de peso excesivo en el primer año de vida está asociada a exceso de peso y elevada adiposidad abdominal en la edad pre-escolar.

Contagem de Lactobacillus sp. em kefir de leite / Count of Lactobacillus sp. in kefir milk

Este estudo analisou a quantidade de Lactobacillus sp. em amostra de kefir de leite da cidade de Novo Hamburgo-RS em diferentes tempos de fermentação, como também as variações de pH no mesmo período. A análise foi realizada conforme método adequado para a determinação deste gênero, seguindo como base as determinações analíticas do Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento do Brasil. Verificou-se que o kefir de 72 horas de fermentação apresentou a maior quantidade do gênero em questão, 1,57 x 108 UFC/mL, sendo que a variação de crescimento de 24 a 72 horas foi semelhante. Após este período, até 120 horas, houve decréscimo rápido e progressivo na quantidade de Lactobacillus sp. O pH apresentou queda de aproximadamente 6,7 do leite utilizado para inoculação dos grãos; para 3,08 após 120 horas de fermentação, apresentando relação direta com a quantidade de Lactobacillus sp. No decorrer da fermentação acontece uma diminuição progressiva do pH, que interfere no sabor do produto. Devido a este fato, associado à quantidade semelhante de Lactobacillus sp. no período de 24 a 72 horas, aconselha-se o consumo do kefir fermentado durante este intervalo de tempo, de acordo com paladar do consumidor.