Desperdicio de alimentos en comedores escolares de una región de la zona centro sur de Chile: Percepciones de manipuladoras de alimentos del Programa de Alimentación Escolar

Introducción: Los desperdicios de alimentos en los comedores escolares son un problema que afecta al uso de recursos naturales, humanos y económicos. Objetivo: Identificar las opiniones y percepciones de manipuladoras de alimentos sobre factores relacionados al desperdicio de alimentos y posibles estrategias para disminuirlo en comedores escolares del Programa de Alimentación Escolar de la Junta Nacional de Auxilio Escolar y Becas en Chile. Métodos: Diseño cualitativo mediante técnica de grupos focales, con 33 participantes. Se aplicó un protocolo de investigación cualitativo que incluyó consentimiento informado, caracterización sociodemográfica, pauta de observación y guion con las dimensiones exploradas. Cada grupo contó con moderador experto y un observador. Se grabó y transcribió el audio de cada sesión y se analizó mediante ATLAS. Ti, versión 8. Resultados: Según las manipuladoras, los alimentos menos consumidos por los estudiantes son las legumbres, verduras frescas, productos marinos y algunas salsas. Estiman que el desperdicio de alimentos oscila entre los 25 a 100 Kilos al día. Las mujeres identifican factores claves en el rechazo de los alimentos por parte de los escolares; estética, olor y sabor del plato; repetitividad del menú; y aspectos culturales. Como estrategias para reducir el desperdicio proponen variar el menú, incorporar alimentos conocidos por los escolares, educar a los padres en la importancia de ofrecer alimentos y preparaciones saludables y sostenibles; fomentar la participación de toda la comunidad educativa en el proceso alimentario. Conclusiones: El estudio reveló que el desperdicio de alimentos en los comedores escolares es un problema complejo que requiere una intervención multidimensional que involucre a todos los actores del sistema alimentario escolar.

Introduction: Food waste in school canteens is a problem that affects the use of natural, human and economic resources. Objective: Identify the opinions and perceptions of food handlers about food waste factors and possible strategies to reduce them in school canteens of the School Feeding Programme of the Junta Nacional de Auxilio Escolar y Becas in Chile. Methods: Qualitative design using a focus group technique with 33 participants. A qualitative research protocol that included informed consent, sociodemographic characterisation, observation guidelines, and a script with the dimensions explored was applied. Each group had an expert moderator and an observer. The audio of each session was recorded, transcribed, and analysed using ATLAS. Ti, version 8. Results: According to the handlers, the foods least consumed by the students are legumes, fresh vegetables, seafood, and some sauces. They estimate that food waste ranges from 25 to 100 kg per day. Women identify critical factors in the rejection of food by schoolchildren: aesthetics, smell, and taste of the dish; repetitiveness of the menu; and cultural aspects. As strategies to reduce waste, they propose varying the menu, incorporating foods familiar to schoolchildren, educating parents about the importance of offering healthy and sustainable food and preparations, and encouraging the participation of the entire educational community in the food process. Conclusions: The study revealed that food waste in school canteens is a complex problem that requires a multidimensional intervention that involves all actors in the school food system.

Sostenibilidad alimentaria y prevalencia de consumo de preparaciones tradicionales y típicas en hogares del centro-sur de Chile / Food sustainability and prevalence of consumption of traditional and typical preparations in households in central-southern Chile

Introducción. Las preparaciones tradicionales típicas incluyen ingredientes mínimamente procesados, provenientes de la agricultura local, raíces y tradiciones de un territorio. A nivel mundial la población ha cambiado sus patrones dietéticos, incorporando alimentos ultraprocesados impactando la salud poblacional y planetaria. Objetivo. Identificar la sostenibilidad y la prevalencia de consumo de preparaciones tradicionales típicas chilenas en hogares de una región de la zona centro-sur de Chile. Materiales y Métodos. Diseño transversal descriptivo, con una muestra de 104 hogares mediante muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia. Se identificó la sostenibilidad de 34 preparaciones tradicionales típicas chilenas, aplicando el sistema NOVA de clasificación de los alimentos según grado y tipo de procesamiento. Las preparaciones se clasificaron en sostenibles (>60% de ingredientes del grupo 1), medianamente sostenibles (50-60%) y no sostenibles (<50%). El estudio contó con la aprobación del Comité de Bioética de la Universidad del Bío-Bío. El análisis de datos consideró frecuencias, porcentajes e IC95% en STATA 17.0. Resultados. El 64% de las preparaciones fueron clasificadas como sostenibles, el 23% medianamente sostenibles y un 13% como no sostenibles. Las preparaciones sostenibles son las más consumidas por los hogares, especialmente aquellas que incluyen legumbres. Las preparaciones no sostenibles consumidas en los hogares se basan en harina refinada, manteca vegetal hidrogenado y/o aceites. Conclusiones. La sostenibilidad de las preparaciones tradicionales típicas chilenas depende de sus ingredientes. Las preparaciones sostenibles son las más consumidas por los hogares de esta región, y se basan en alimentos naturales o poco procesados(AU)

Introduction. Typical traditional preparations include minimally processed ingredients from local agriculture, roots and traditions of a territory. Globally, the population has changed its dietary patterns, incorporating ultra-processed foods, impacting population and planetary health. Objective. To identify the sustainability and prevalence of consumption of typical Chilean traditional preparations in households in central-southern Chile. Materials and Methods. Descriptive cross-sectional design, with a sample of 104 households using non-probabilistic convenience sampling. The sustainability of 34 typical Chilean traditional preparations was identif ied, applying the NOVA food classif ication system according to degree and type of processing. The preparations were classif ied as sustainable (>60% of group 1 ingredients), moderately sustainable (50- 60%) and non-sustainable (<50%). The Bioethics Committee of the Universidad del Bío-Bío approved the study. Data analysis considered f requencies, percentages and 95%CI in STATA 17.0. Results. 64% of the preparations were classif ied as sustainable, 23% moderately sustainable, and 13% non-sustainable. Sustainable preparations are the most consumed by households, especially those that include pulses. Unsustainable preparations households consume are based on ref ined flour, hydrogenated vegetable shortening and/or oils. Conclusions. The sustainability of typical Chilean traditional preparations depends on their ingredients. Sustainable preparations are the most consumed by households in this region and are based on natural or minimally processed foods(AU)

Development and Validation of a Set of Instruments to Measure Food Environments.

BACKGROUND: There is worldwide interest in measuring local food environments (FEs). The aim of this study was to develop and validate a set of instruments to evaluate FEs in Chile. METHODS: Based on the development and validation of four instruments to measure FEs, a literature review, an evaluation by experts, and the implementation of a pilot tool in the FEs of schoolchildren from nine public schools in the commune of Chillán, Chile, were used. RESULTS: A tool to evaluate FEs was provided, based on three dimensions: availability, variety, and advertising of healthy foods. A total of 1928 foods points of purchase were evaluated. The reliability was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha. Some 74% of the foods' points of purchase were store locations. The reliability of the four instruments was high to acceptable (store: 0.90; institution: 0.77; street food: 0.74; restaurant: 0.68). Unhealthy foods were highlighted by the scores obtained: store (6.08 ± 4.07; range: 0-13), restaurant (3.95 ± 1.75; range: 0-10), street food (1.18 ± 1.56; range: 0-7), and institution FEs (3.38 ± 2.78; range: 0-9). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this tool can provide information to governments for incorporating structural measures to ensure adequate availability, variety, and advertising of healthy foods in different FEs.

Association of Differences in Dietary Behaviours and Lifestyle with Self-Reported Weight Gain during the COVID-19 Lockdown in a University Community from Chile: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Domiciliary confinement of people is one of the main strategies to limit the impact of COVID-19. Lockdowns have led to changes in lifestyle, emotional health, and eating habits. We aimed to evaluate the association of differences in dietary behaviours and lifestyle with self-reported weight gain during the COVID-19 lockdown in Chile. In this cross-sectional analytical study, five previously validated surveys were condensed into a single 86-item online questionnaire. The survey was sent to 1000 potential participants of the university community; it was kept online for 28 days to be answered. Of the 639 respondents, the mean self-reported weight gain during confinement was 1.99 kg (standard deviation [SE]: 0.17) and 0.7 (SE: 0.06) units of body mass index (BMI) (both p < 0.001) and the median difference in body weight during lockdown was 3.3% (interquartile range [IQR]: 0.0-6.7). The differences of intake of most food groups before and during lockdown were associated with greater self-reported weight, BMI and percentage weight gain. Differences in lifestyle (odds ratio [OR] = 14.21, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 2.35-85.82) worsening eating habits (OR = 3.43, 95%CI: 2.31-5.09), and more consumption of sweet or filled cookies and cakes during lockdown (OR = 2.11, 95%CI: 1.42-3.13) were associated with self-reported weight gain. In conclusion, different dietary behaviours (mainly consumption of industrialized foods) during lockdown, as well as quality of life deterioration were the main factors associated with self-reported weight gain during lockdown.

Food Insecurity Is Associated with the Quality of Diet of Non-Institutionalized Older Adults from a Southern Chilean Commune: A Cross-Sectional Study.

As the population ages, greater attention to age-related health problems related to diet and lifestyles is needed. Here, we sought to evaluate the associations between demographic and clinical characteristics and food insecurity with the quality of diet of non-institutionalized elderly from a southern Chilean commune. We performed an analytical cross-sectional study in a sample of 376 older adults. Nutritional status was evaluated through anthropometric measurements. Quality of diet was determined by the healthy eating index (HEI), obtained through the frequency of consumption questionnaire. Socioeconomic, demographic, and lifestyle variables were also collected. Ordinal logistic and Poisson regression models were applied to study associations with quality of diet. The sample consisted of more women (81.6%) than men (18.4%). Most older adults were found to live in a situation of vulnerability or poverty (82.4%), with most having food security (65.7%). According to the HEI, only 14.1% had a good quality of diet, 83.8% had diet in need of improvement, and 2.1% had an unhealthy diet. There was an association of food insecurity and cardiovascular risk (according to waist circumference) with lower quality of diet categories. However, an association with the unhealthy quality of diet category was not confirmed with Poisson regression analysis, which was possibly due to the low number of subjects in that category (n = 8, 2.1%). Other modifiable factors like physical activity, hours of sleep, and polypharmacy were not associated with lower quality of diet categories. Socioeconomic status, which is a structural health determinant, was not associated with decreased quality of diet. Since this was a cross-sectional study performed on a small sample from a Chilean commune, directionality of associations cannot be discerned, and future longitudinal studies could aim to better characterize these associations in larger samples of elderly patients.

Bebidas azucaradas: Representaciones de escolares con sobrepeso y obesidad / Sugar-sweetened beverage: Representations of overweight and obese schoolchildren

RESUMEN El objetivo fue indagar las representaciones de escolares con sobrepeso y obesidad con respecto al consumo de bebidas azucaradas y las consecuencias de su ingesta para la salud. El estudio fue de tipo cualitativo hermenéutico de casos, con técnicas de recolección de información de grupos focales. Se realizó en estudiantes de 8 a 12 años de edad, con sobrepeso y obesidad de escuelas rurales y urbanas de la Provincia de Ñuble. Se observó una asociación entre el sabor de las bebidas azucaradas y el placer que les provocó su consumo, realizado especialmente en el hogar y asociada a la época estival. Los niños manifestaron conocer las consecuencias del consumo excesivo de bebidas azucaradas y reconocieron a sus padres como los principales responsables para el consumo de estos productos. Revelaron que los tiempos de ocio, especialmente en el hogar, favorecían el consumo de bebidas azucaradas.

ABSTRACT The objective was to investigate the representations and beliefs among overweight and obese schoolchildren regarding consumption and health consequences of sugar-sweetened beverages. This was a qualitative hermeneutical study of cases using focus group information collection techniques. The study was conducted among overweight and obese schoolchildren aged 8 to 12 from rural and urban schools from Ñuble Province. These were associations between representations of sugar-sweetened beverage flavor and the pleasure it produced when consumed, especially at home and during the summer season. Children expressed knowing the consequences of excess consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and identified their parents as being primarily responsible for the consumption of these products. They revealed that leisure time, especially at home, encouraged sugar-sweetened beverage intake.