Consumption of ultra-processed foods and mental health of pregnant women from the South of Brazil.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and the mental health of pregnant women from the South of Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study carried out in Criciúma, Brazil, through face-to-face interviews, from April to December 2022. Pregnant women aged 18 or older who underwent prenatal care in the forty-eight basic health care units of the municipality and who were in their third trimester of pregnancy were included. High consumption of UPF was considered as six or more items or subgroups of UPF consumed on the day before the interview, using the Nova-UPF screener. The mental health variables were depressive symptoms, stress, sadness and anxiety. Crude and adjusted analyses were conducted using the Fisher's exact test and the Poisson regression with robust variance. In total, 428 pregnant women were studied; most of them were aged between 20 and 25 years and were white. Pregnant women who presented high consumption of UPF were 1·42-fold (95 % CI 1·06, 1·92) more likely to experience anxiety and presented a prevalence 56 % (95 % CI 1·18, 2·07) higher of stress when compared with those who did not present high consumption of UPF. The prevalence of depressive symptoms and feelings of sadness was 1·31-fold (95 % CI 1·08, 1·60) and 3·41-fold (95 % CI 1·77, 6·58) higher among those with high consumption of UPF, respectively. The results suggest that diet quality is associated with the mental health of pregnant women. Promoting joint actions focused on food and nutritional education, and mental health, for pregnant women, is necessary.

A novel web-based 24-h dietary recall tool in line with the Nova food processing classification: description and evaluation.

OBJECTIVE: This paper describes the first web-based self-completed 24-h recall designed to categorise food intake according to Nova groups - Nova24h - and its agreement with a reference tool in estimating the dietary relative contribution of the four Nova food groups (% of total energy intake). DESIGN: Comparisons of estimates of dietary relative contributions of Nova groups obtained by Nova24h and one standard interviewer-led 24-h recall. SETTING: Nationwide adult cohort study in Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were 186 participants of the NutriNet Brasil Cohort Study (n 186). RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were observed between the Nova24h and the reference tool mean contributions of unprocessed or minimally processed foods (52·3 % v. 52·6 %), processed culinary ingredients (11·6 % v. 11·9 %), processed foods (17·1 % v. 14·7 %) and ultra-processed foods (19·0 % v. 20·9 %). Intraclass correlation coefficients between individual estimates obtained for each Nova group showed moderate to good agreement (0·54-0·78). Substantial or almost perfect agreement between the tools was seen regarding the ability to rank participants according to quintiles of contribution of each Nova group (PABAK 0·69-0·81). CONCLUSIONS: Nova24h is a suitable tool for estimating the dietary relative energy contribution of Nova food groups in the NutriNet Brasil cohort. New studies are necessary to verify its adequacy in other populations.

Is the adherence to the food practices recommended by the dietary guidelines for the Brazilian population associated with diet quality?

PURPOSE: The Brazilian Food Guide (BFG)'s messages are mostly qualitative and focused on food practices, such as meal planning, cooking, and eating modes. This study sough to investigate whether the adherence to these food practices is aligned with diet quality. METHODS: A quota-based subsample of the NutriNet-Brasil Cohort (n = 2052) completed the Food Practices Brazil Scale (FPBr), a 24-item scale assessing the adherence to healthy eating practices recommended by the BFG. Four possible frequency-based answers are given and a score ranging from 0 to 72 is calculated by summing them (FPBr-score). Data from web-based 24-h recalls were used for calculating the usual percentage of energy intake (%energy) of ten food groups based on the level of food processing: plant-based unprocessed or minimally processed foods; processed foods; ultra-processed foods; fruits; vegetables; whole grains; beans and other legumes; nuts; red meat; and table sugar. The association between quartiles of the FPBr-score and food groups' %energy was analysed through crude and adjusted linear regression models. RESULTS: Except for red meat, all the other food groups were linearly associated with the FPBr-score in the expected direction. For example, adjusted means for the %energy of plant-based unprocessed or minimally processed foods were 26.7% (CI95% 25.9-27.5) and 36.8% (CI95% 36.0-37.6) among those classified in the first and fourth quartiles of the FPBr-score, respectively. For ultra-processed foods, these percentages were 27.0 (CI95% 26.3-27.8) against 17.5 (CI95% 16.7-18.3). CONCLUSIONS: These results support the use of messages based on practices and behaviors in Food-Based Dietary Guidelines. At the same time, they call attention to the importance of policies that enable people to adopt healthier food practices.

Nova diet quality scores and risk of weight gain in the NutriNet-Brasil cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prospective association of two diet quality scores based on the Nova food classification with BMI gain. DESIGN: The NutriNet-Brasil cohort is an ongoing web-based prospective study with continuous recruitment of participants aged ≥ 18 years since January 2020. A short 24-h dietary recall screener including 'yes/no' questions about the consumption of whole plant foods (WPF) and ultra-processed foods (UPF) was completed by participants at baseline. The Nova-WPF and the Nova-UPF scores were computed by adding up positive responses regarding the consumption of thirty-three varieties of WPF and twenty-three varieties of UPF, respectively. Participants reported their height at baseline and their weight at both baseline and after approximately 15 months of follow-up. A 15-month BMI (kg/m2) increase of ≥5 % was coded as BMI gain. SETTING: Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 9551 participants from the NutriNet-Brasil cohort. RESULTS: Increasing quintiles of the Nova-UPF score were linearly associated with higher risk of BMI gain (relative risk Q5/Q1 = 1·34; 95 % CI 1·15, 1·56), whereas increasing quintiles of the Nova-WPF score were linearly associated with lower risk (relative risk Q5/Q1 = 0·80; 95 % CI 0·69, 0·94). We identified a moderate inverse correlation between the two scores (-0·33) and a partial mediating effect of the alternative score: 15 % for the total effect of the Nova-UPF score and 25 % for the total effect of the Nova-WPF score. CONCLUSIONS: The Nova-UPF and Nova-WPF scores are independently associated with mid-term BMI gain further justifying their use in diet quality monitoring systems.

Time evolution of advice on healthy habits in Brazilians with hypertension and diabetes: National Health Survey / Evolução temporal de orientações sobre hábitos saudáveis em brasileiros com hipertensão e diabetes: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde

Abstract To evaluate time evolution of receiving advice on healthy habits among Brazilians with hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Cross-sectional study with data from the 2013 and 2019 National Health Survey. We used linear regression weighted by least squares of variance to verify time evolution of the outcome estimating the annual percentage change (APC) presented according to sex, skin color, age group, and quintiles of wealth index. The analytical sample in 2013 was 11,129 individuals with hypertension and 3,182 individuals with diabetes, and in 2019 19,107 individuals with hypertension and 6,317 individuals with diabetes. For those with hypertension, there were statistically significant reductions in receiving advice for not smoking (APC: -1.49), not drinking excessive alcoholic beverages (APC: -1.48), ingesting less salt (APC: -0.56), and for all healthy habits (APC: -1.17). For those with diabetes, statistically significant reductions were observed only for not smoking (APC: -1.13) and not drinking excessive alcoholic beverages (APC: -1.11). The results suggest a reduction in all types of advice on healthy habits evaluated for hypertension and diabetes, with greater magnitude among individuals belonging to the richest quintiles.

Resumo O objetivo foi avaliar a evolução temporal do recebimento de orientações sobre hábitos saudáveis entre brasileiros com hipertensão arterial e diabetes mellitus. Estudo transversal com dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde de 2013 e 2019. Para verificar a evolução temporal das prevalências de orientações sobre hábitos saudáveis, realizadas por profissionais de saúde nos atendimentos para as morbidades, utilizou-se regressão linear ponderada pelos quadrados mínimos da variância, estimando a variação percentual anual (VPA) apresentada de acordo com sexo, cor da pele, faixa etária e quintis do índice de bens. A amostra analítica, em 2013, foi de 11.129 indivíduos com hipertensão e 3.182 com diabetes, e em 2019, de 19.107 indivíduos com hipertensão e 6.317 com diabetes. Para hipertensão, observou-se reduções nas orientações para não fumar (VPA: -1.49), não ingerir bebidas alcoólicas em excesso (VPA: -1.48), ingerir menos sal (VPA: -0.56) e, ainda, para todas as orientações (VPA: -1.17). Para diabetes, foram observadas reduções estatisticamente significativas apenas para não fumantes (APC: -1.13) e para os que não consomem bebidas alcoólicas em excesso (APC: -1.11). Os resultados sugerem redução de todas as orientações avaliadas para hipertensão e diabetes, com maior magnitude entre os indivíduos pertencentes aos quintis mais ricos.

Time evolution of advice on healthy habits in Brazilians with hypertension and diabetes: National Health Survey.

To evaluate time evolution of receiving advice on healthy habits among Brazilians with hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Cross-sectional study with data from the 2013 and 2019 National Health Survey. We used linear regression weighted by least squares of variance to verify time evolution of the outcome estimating the annual percentage change (APC) presented according to sex, skin color, age group, and quintiles of wealth index. The analytical sample in 2013 was 11,129 individuals with hypertension and 3,182 individuals with diabetes, and in 2019 19,107 individuals with hypertension and 6,317 individuals with diabetes. For those with hypertension, there were statistically significant reductions in receiving advice for not smoking (APC: -1.49), not drinking excessive alcoholic beverages (APC: -1.48), ingesting less salt (APC: -0.56), and for all healthy habits (APC: -1.17). For those with diabetes, statistically significant reductions were observed only for not smoking (APC: -1.13) and not drinking excessive alcoholic beverages (APC: -1.11). The results suggest a reduction in all types of advice on healthy habits evaluated for hypertension and diabetes, with greater magnitude among individuals belonging to the richest quintiles.

Tipos de leite consumidos durante o primeiro ano de vida e estado nutricional de lactentes do Sul do Brasil / Types of milk consumed during the first year of life and nutritional status of infants in Southern Brazil

Resumo Introdução A Organização Mundial da Saúde (OMS) recomenda o aleitamento materno exclusivo até o 6º mês de vida da criança e a sua manutenção com alimentação complementar até pelo menos os 2 anos de idade. Apesar da sua importância, a ingestão de substitutos do leite materno é altamente prevalente, sendo uma preocupação em saúde pública. Objetivo Avaliar a associação entre os tipos de leite ingeridos e o estado nutricional no primeiro ano de vida. Método Estudo longitudinal observacional com crianças brasileiras pertencentes a um estudo multicêntrico. Aos 3, 6, 9 e 12 meses de idade foram investigados os tipos de leite consumidos por meio de questionário de frequência alimentar (QFA) e foi realizada antropometria. As associações brutas e ajustadas foram avaliadas por intermédio de regressão linear. Resultados Das 2.965 duplas de mães-bebês rastreadas, 362 atenderam aos critérios e aceitaram participar do estudo (50% meninos). Aos 12 meses de idade, os maiores escores-z de peso para idade e de peso para comprimento foram observados nos meninos que consumiam apenas fórmula ou apenas leite de vaca. Os maiores escores-z de comprimento para idade foram encontrados entre as meninas que ingeriam apenas fórmula ou apenas leite de vaca aos 9 e 12 meses. Ambos foram comparados àqueles que ingeriam apenas leite materno nas mesmas idades. Conclusão Os tipos de leite consumidos associaram-se ao estado nutricional no primeiro ano de vida, sendo observadas diferenças entre os sexos. Os maiores índices antropométricos nas crianças que não recebiam leite materno chamam a atenção para a persistência futura desses desvios, em direção ao excesso de peso.

Abstract Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to the 6th month of life of the child and its maintenance with complementary feeding until at least 2 years of age. Despite its importance, the intake of breast milk substitutes is highly prevalent and a public health concern. Objective To evaluate the association between the types of milk ingested and nutritional status in the first year of life. Method Observational longitudinal study with Brazilian children from a multicentric study. At 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age, the types of milk consumed were investigated using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and anthropometric measurements were performed. Crude and adjusted associations were assessed by linear regression. Results Of the 2,965 pairs of mothers-babies screened, 362 met the criteria and accepted to participate in the study (50% of boys). At 12 months of age, higher weight-for-age and weight-for-length z-scores were observed in boys who consumed only formula or only cow's milk, compared to boys who consumed only breast milk. Higher length-for-age z-scores were found among girls who consumed only formula or only cow's milk at 9 and 12 months, compared to girls who consumed only breast milk at the same ages. Conclusion The types of milk consumed were associated with nutritional status during the first year of life, with differences between boys and girls. The higher anthropometric indexes in children who did not receive breastmilk call our attention to the persistence of such deviations toward excessive weight status in the future.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and growth outcomes in early childhood: 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort.

The current study aims to describe the consumption of ultra-processed foods, from 2 to 4 years old, and evaluate its association with growth outcomes during the same period. It is a prospective cohort study using data from the 2015 Pelotas-Brazil Birth Cohort. Outcomes assessed at the 2- and 4-year-old follow-ups were BMI-for-age Z-score and length/height-for-age Z-score. The exposure was a score of ultra-processed food consumption calculated at each follow-up by summing up the positive answers for the consumption of nine specific items/subgroups of ultra-processed foods: (i) instant noodles; (ii) soft drink; (iii) chocolate powder in milk; (iv) nuggets, hamburger or sausages; (v) packaged salty snacks; (vi) candies, lollipops, chewing gum, chocolate or jelly; (vii) sandwich cookie or sweet biscuit; (viii) juice in can or box or prepared from a powdered mix and (ix) yogurt. Crude and adjusted analyses between the score of ultra-processed foods and the outcomes were run using generalised estimating equations. Prevalence of consumption of ultra-processed foods increased from 2 to 4 years old, for all evaluated items/subgroups, except yogurt. In prospective analyses, higher scores of ultra-processed food consumption were associated with higher BMI-for-age Z-score and lower length/height-for-age Z-score, after adjustment for confounders. Ultra-processed food consumption, measured using a short questionnaire with low research burden, increased from 2 to 4 years old and was related to deleterious growth outcomes in early childhood. These results reinforce the importance of avoiding the consumption of these products in childhood to prevent the double burden of malnutrition and non-communicable chronic diseases throughout the life.

Score of ultra-processed food consumption and its association with sociodemographic factors in the Brazilian National Health Survey, 2019.

This is a cross-sectional population-based study that describes the score of ultra-processed food consumption, applied in the Brazilian National Health Survey performed in 2019, and its association with sociodemographic factors in Brazilian adults (18 years or older). The score of ultra-processed food consumption was calculated by adding up the positive answers about the consumption on the previous day of 10 subgroups of ultra-processed foods frequently consumed in Brazil. The distribution of the score in the population was presented as a count. Poisson regression models were used to evaluate the crude and adjusted associations of scores equal to or higher than five subgroups of ultra-processed foods with urban/rural area, geographic region, sex, age group, schooling level, and wealth index. About 15% of the Brazilian adults reached scores equal to or higher than five. After adjustment for confounders, the prevalence of consuming five or more subgroups of ultra-processed foods decreased linearly with age, increased linearly with wealth quintiles and it was higher in urban areas, in the Southeast and South regions (compared to the others) and in men. Public policies that reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods with emphasis on strata of the population at the greatest risk are essential and monitoring the score of ultra-processed food consumption across studies and populations will be important to assess the success of these policies.

Impact of the consumption of ultra-processed foods on children, adolescents and adults' health: scope review. / Impacto do consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados na saúde de crianças, adolescentes e adultos: revisão de escopo.

The aim of this study was to conduct a literature scope review of the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and health outcomes. The search was carried out in the PubMed, Web of Science and LILACS databases. Studies that assessed the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods, identified on the NOVA classification, and health outcomes were eligible. The review process resulted in the selection of 63 studies, which were analyzed in terms of quality using a tool from the National Institutes of Health. The outcomes found included obesity, metabolic risk markers, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, asthma, depression, frailty, gastrointestinal diseases and mortality indicators. The evidence was particularly consistent for obesity (or indicators related to it) in adults, whose association with the consumption of ultra-processed foods was demonstrated, with dose-response effect, in cross-sectional studies with representative samples from five countries, in four large cohort studies and in a randomized clinical trial. Large cohort studies have also found a significant association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer - even after adjusting for obesity. Two cohort studies have shown an association of ultra-processed foods consumption with depression and four cohort studies with all-cause mortality. This review summarized the studies' results that described the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and various non-communicable diseases and their risk factors, which has important implications for public health.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi realizar uma revisão de escopo da literatura acerca da associação entre o consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados e desfechos em saúde. A busca foi realizada nas bases PubMed, Web of Science e LILACS. Foram elegíveis os estudos que avaliaram a associação entre o consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados identificados com base na classificação NOVA e os desfechos em saúde. O processo de revisão resultou na seleção de 63 estudos, os quais foram analisados em termos de qualidade com base em ferramenta do Instituto Nacional de Saúde dos Estados Unidos. Os desfechos encontrados incluíram indicadores de obesidade, marcadores de risco metabólico, diabetes, doenças cardiovasculares, câncer, asma, depressão, fragilidade, doenças gastrointestinais e mortalidade. A evidência foi particularmente consistente para obesidade (ou indicadores relacionados a ela) em adultos, cuja associação com o consumo de ultraprocessados foi demonstrada, com efeito dose-resposta, em estudos transversais com amostras representativas de cinco países, em quatro grandes estudos de coorte e em um ensaio clínico randomizado. Grandes estudos de coorte também encontraram associação significativa entre o consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados e o risco de doenças cardiovasculares, diabetes e câncer, mesmo após ajuste para obesidade. Dois estudos de coorte demonstraram associação do consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados com depressão e quatro estudos de coorte com mortalidade por todas as causas. Esta revisão sumarizou os resultados de trabalhos que descreveram a associação entre o consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados e as diversas doenças crônicas não transmissíveis e seus fatores de risco, o que traz importantes implicações para a saúde pública.

El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar una revisión de alcance de la literatura sobre la asociación entre el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y los resultados de salud. La búsqueda se realizó en las bases de datos PubMed, Web of Science y LILACS. Fueron elegibles los estudios que evaluaron la asociación entre el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados identificados según la clasificación NOVA y los resultados de salud. El proceso de revisión resultó en la selección de 63 estudios, cuya calidad se analizó con base en una herramienta delo Instituto Nacional de Salud de Estados Unidos Los resultados encontrados incluyeron indicadores de obesidad, marcadores de riesgo metabólico, diabetes, enfermedad cardiovascular, cáncer, asma, depresión, fragilidad, enfermedad gastrointestinal y mortalidad. La evidencia fue particularmente consistente para la obesidad (o indicadores relacionados con ella) en adultos, cuya asociación con el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados se demostró, con un efecto dosis-respuesta, en estudios transversales con muestras representativas de cinco países, en cuatro grandes estudios de cohortes y en un ensayo clínico aleatorizado. Grandes estudios de cohortes también encontraron una asociación significativa entre el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y el riesgo de enfermedades cardiovasculares, diabetes y cáncer, incluso después de ajustar la obesidad. Dos estudios de cohortes mostraron una asociación entre el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y la depresión y cuatro estudios de cohortes con mortalidad por todas las causas. Esta revisión resumió los resultados de estudios que describieron la asociación entre el consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y las diversas enfermedades crónicas no transmisibles y sus factores de riesgo, lo que tiene importantes implicaciones para la salud pública.

Changes in socioeconomic inequalities in food consumption among Brazilian adults in a 10-years period.

Objective: To evaluate changes in socioeconomic inequalities in food consumption in Brazil over a 10-year period. Methods: Data on 24-h recalls of adults (aged 20 years or more) from the 2008/9 (n = 26,327) and 2017/8 (n = 37,689). Brazilian Dietary Survey were analyzed. We used the Nova classification system to group food items and estimate the percentage of total energy from ultra-processed foods and plant-based natural or minimally processed foods. For sex and area of residence, we calculated the percentage points (p.p.) difference between the estimates for women and men, and rural and urban populations. Negative values indicate higher consumption among men or urban residents, positive values indicate higher consumption among women or rural residents, and zero indicates equality. For education and wealth levels we calculated the slope index of inequality (SII). The SII varies from -100 to 100, with positive values indicating higher consumption among more educated or wealthiest groups, negative values indicating higher consumption among less educated or poorest groups, and zero equality. Results: Over the period, we observed a reduction in the percentage of total energy from plant-based natural/minimally processed foods from 13.0 to 12.2% and an increase in that of ultra-processed foods from 17.0 to 18.3%. The urban population and those in the wealthier and more educated groups presented higher consumption of ultra-processed foods and lower consumption of plant-based natural/minimally processed foods in both survey years. Over the 10-year period, there was an overall reduction of the socioeconomic inequalities, mainly explained by the greater increase in ultra-processed food consumption by the rural population and those from the poorest and less educated groups (difference for area -7.2 p.p. in 2008/9 and -5.9 p.p. in 2017/8; SII for education 17.7 p.p. in 2008/9 and 13.8 p.p. in 2017/8; SII for wealth 17.0 p.p. in 2008/9 and 11.2 p.p. in 2017/8). Conclusion: Socioeconomic inequalities in food consumption decreased in Brazil, but it may lead to the overall deterioration of the dietary quality of the more vulnerable groups.

Socio-economic inequalities in dental pain in children: A birth cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe socio-economic inequalities in dental pain and dental caries in 5 and 12-year-old children enrolled in a birth cohort. METHODS: This prospective study was carried out with children enrolled in a birth cohort in Pelotas, Brazil. The main outcome was history of dental pain in the last six months, collected at 5 and 12 years of age. Dental caries was evaluated as a secondary outcome. Inequalities dimensions were investigated using maternal education and family income. The inequalities indicators used were the slope index of inequality (SII) and the concentration index (CIX). RESULTS: Some 1,114 and 990 children were included in the analyses at the 5- and 12-year follow-ups, respectively. The prevalence of dental pain was 16.5% (95% CI 14.4-18.8) at 5 years and 31.6% (95% CI 28.7-34.6) at 12 years. Regarding SII, the difference in the prevalence of dental pain was 14 and 11 percentage points at 5 and 12 years, respectively, when comparing the less to the more maternal schooled strata. Relative inequalities (CIX) were found for dental pain only at age 12, considering family income (-5.8 CI95% -11.0; -0.6). Absolute socio-economic inequalities were also observed for dental caries in both ages. CONCLUSION: Dental pain in the last six months and dental caries was unequally distributed. Economically disadvantaged groups had the highest prevalence of dental pain and dental caries in both dentitions. Actions to tackle socio-economic inequalities must be designed throughout life.

Score of ultra-processed food consumption and its association with sociodemographic factors in the Brazilian National Health Survey, 2019 / Escore de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados e sua associação com fatores sociodemográficos na Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde, 2019 / Puntuación para el consumo de comida ultraprocesada y su asociación con factores sociodemográficos en la Encuesta Nacional de Salud, 2019

This is a cross-sectional population-based study that describes the score of ultra-processed food consumption, applied in the Brazilian National Health Survey performed in 2019, and its association with sociodemographic factors in Brazilian adults (18 years or older). The score of ultra-processed food consumption was calculated by adding up the positive answers about the consumption on the previous day of 10 subgroups of ultra-processed foods frequently consumed in Brazil. The distribution of the score in the population was presented as a count. Poisson regression models were used to evaluate the crude and adjusted associations of scores equal to or higher than five subgroups of ultra-processed foods with urban/rural area, geographic region, sex, age group, schooling level, and wealth index. About 15% of the Brazilian adults reached scores equal to or higher than five. After adjustment for confounders, the prevalence of consuming five or more subgroups of ultra-processed foods decreased linearly with age, increased linearly with wealth quintiles and it was higher in urban areas, in the Southeast and South regions (compared to the others) and in men. Public policies that reduce the consumption of ultra-processed foods with emphasis on strata of the population at the greatest risk are essential and monitoring the score of ultra-processed food consumption across studies and populations will be important to assess the success of these policies.

Estudo transversal de base populacional com objetivo de descrever o escore de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados, avaliado na Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde em 2019, e sua associação com fatores sociodemográficos em adultos brasileiros (com 18 anos ou mais). O escore de consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados foi calculado, somando as respostas positivas a perguntas sobre o consumo no dia anterior de dez subgrupos de alimentos ultraprocessados, consumidos frequentemente no Brasil. A distribuição da pontuação na população foi apresentada na forma de contagem. Foram utilizados modelos de regressão de Poisson para avaliar as associações brutas e ajustadas para pontuações iguais ou maiores de subgrupos de ultraprocessados, de acordo com situação (urbana/rural), macrorregião, sexo, grupo etário, escolaridade e índice de riqueza. Cerca de 15% dos adultos brasileiros obtiveram pontuações iguais ou superiores a cinco. Após ajustar para fatores de confusão, a prevalência do consumo de cinco ou mais subgrupos de ultraprocessados diminuiu de maneira linear com a idade, aumentou de maneira linear com os quintis de renda e foi mais alta nas áreas urbanas, nas regiões Sul e Sudeste e em homens. São necessárias políticas públicas que reduzam o consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados, com ênfase nos segmentos da população com maior risco. Para avaliar o sucesso dessas políticas, será importante monitorar os níveis de consumo de ultraprocessados entre os diversos estudos e populações.

El objetivo de este estudio transversal, de base poblacional, es describir la puntuación para el consumo de comida ultraprocesada y su asociación con factores sociodemográficos en adultos brasileños (con 18 años de edad o más). Los datos proceden de la Encuesta Nacional de Salud llevada a cabo en 2019. La puntuación para el consumo de comida ultraprocesada se calculó sumando las respuestas positivas a preguntas sobre el consumo el día previo de 10 subgrupos de comidas ultraprocesadas frecuentemente consumidas en Brasil. La distribución de la puntuación en la población se presentó como un dato de conteo. Fueron utilizados modelos de regressioón de Poison para evaluar las asociaciones crudas y ajustadas de puntuaciones iguales a o superiores a cinco subgrupos de comidas ultraprocesadas con áreas urbanas/rurales, región geográfica, sexo, grupo de edad, nivel de escolaridad, e índice de riqueza. Alrededor de un 15% de los adultos brasileños alcanzaron puntuaciones iguales o mayores que cinco. Tras el ajuste para los factores de confusión, la prevalencia del consumo de cinco o más subgrupos de comidas ultraprocesadas decrecío, aumentando linealmente con los quintiles de riqueza y era superior en las áreas urbanas, en las regiones Sur y Sudeste (comparadas con las otras) y en hombres. Son necesarias políticas públicas para reducir el consumo de comidas ultraprocesadas con enfásis en los estratos poblacionales en mayor riesgo. Monitorear la puntuación del consumo de comida ultraprocesada a través de estudios y poblaciones será importante para evaluar el éxito de estas políticas.

Motivation for participation in sports among Brazilian adults: National Household Sample Survey - 2015.

This article aims to describe the reasons for sport participation in the Brazilian adult population according to gender, age and schooling level. This is a cross-sectional study with data from a National Household Sample Survey - 2015. The reasons to practice or not practice sports in the previous year were obtained by questionnaire with predetermined answer options. All analyses were performed in Stata 12.1 and stratified by gender. The prevalence of sports participation for men and women were 31.7% and 16.9%, respectively. The most frequent reasons for sports participation among men were: having fun, quality of life and performance. Among women, the most frequent reasons were: quality of life, performance and medical recommendation. Regarding reasons for not practicing sports, the most reported ones were: lack of time (38.8% for men and 37.8% for women), not enjoying (34.8% for men and 35.3% for women) and health problem (20.3% for men and 17.9% for women). The study findings showed the most frequent reasons for sport participation in Brazil. Understanding these reasons and how they affect different age ranges and educational levels may contribute to improve strategic planning to promote sports in middle-income countries.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and its association with sociodemographic factors in the adult population of the 27 Brazilian state capitals (2019).

OBJECTIVE: To describe the magnitude of consumption of ultra-processed foods in the adult population (≥ 18 years old) in the capitals of the 27 federative units of Brazil, as well as its association with sociodemographic variables. METHODS: Data used in this study stem from participants (n = 52,443) of the 2019 wave of the annual survey of the "National surveillance system for risk and protective factors for chronic diseases by telephone survey" (Vigitel). The consumption of ultra-processed foods was described based on a score, corresponding to the sum of positive responses to questions about consumption on the previous day of thirteen subgroups of ultra-processed foods frequently consumed in Brazil. Poisson regression models were used to describe the crude and adjusted associations between high consumption of ultra-processed foods (scores ≥ 5) and sex, age group, and level of education. RESULTS: The frequency of high consumption of ultra-processed foods was 18.2% (95% CI 17.4-19.0). With or without adjustment for other sociodemographic variables, this frequency was significantly lower in females and decreased linearly with age. In the crude analysis, there was an increase in the frequency of high consumption from the lower level to the intermediate level of education and a decrease in this consumption from the intermediate level to the upper level. In the analysis adjusted for sex and age, the frequency of high consumption of ultra-processed foods was significantly lower at the higher level of education (12 or more years of study), with no differences between the other levels. CONCLUSION: Ultra-processed foods are consumed with high frequency in the adult Brazilian population in the 27 capitals of the federation. Being male, younger and having less education than university are conditions that increase, independently, the consumption of these foods.

Nova score for the consumption of ultra-processed foods: description and performance evaluation in Brazil.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the Nova score for the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and evaluate its potential in reflecting the dietary share of UPF in Brazil. METHODS: This study was conducted in São Paulo with a convenience sample of 300 adults. Using a tablet, participants answered a 3-minute electronic self-report questionnaire on the consumption of 23 subgroups of UPF commonly consumed in Brazil, regarding the day prior the survey. Each participant score corresponded to the number of subgroups reported. The dietary share of UPF on the day prior to the survey, expressed as a percentage of total energy intake, was calculated based on data collected on a 30-minute complete 24-hour dietary recall administered by trained nutritionists. The association between the score and the dietary share of UPF was evaluated using linear regression models. The Pabak index was used to assess the agreement in participants' classification according to the fifths of Nova score and the fifths of dietary share of UPF. RESULTS: The average dietary share of UPF increased linearly and significantly with the increase of the Nova score for the consumption of ultra-processed foods. We found a substantial agreement in participants' classification according to the fifths of the distribution of scores and the fifths of the dietary share of UPF (Pabak index = 0.67). Age was inversely associated with a relatively high frequency of UPF consumption (upper fifth of the distribution) for both score and dietary share of UPF. CONCLUSION: The Nova score for the consumption of ultra-processed foods, obtained in a quick and practical manner, shows a good potential in reflecting the dietary share of UPF in Brazil.

Body weight changes in the NutriNet Brasil cohort during the covid-19 pandemic.

This study describes body weight changes among participants of the NutriNet Brasil cohort (n = 14,259) during the covid-19 pandemic. We analyzed data reported before the pandemic onset (01/26/2020 to 03/18/2020) and about six months after (09/14/2020 to 10/19/2020). Our results show that 19.7% of the participants gained ≥ 2 kg. Weight gain was directly associated with male gender, lower education, and previous presence of overweight, and inversely associated with age. In turn, 15.2% lost ≥ 2kg, being directly associated with male gender and previous presence of overweight and inversely associated with age.

[Food consumption patterns in children under two years of age in Brazil: National Health Survey, 2013]. / Padrões de consumo alimentar em crianças menores de dois anos no Brasil: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde, 2013.

The scope of this paper was to identify patterns of food consumption and associated factors among children under two years of age in Brazil. It involved a cross-sectional, population-based study using data from the National Health Survey conducted in 2013. Food consumption was measured by dichotomous questions, listing the food ingested solely on the day prior to the interview. The patterns were identified through principal component analysis. Poisson regression was used to obtain a crude and adjusted prevalence ratio. The sample design effect was considered in the analyses that were stratified according to age. Among the 5,052 children, three patterns were identified, being defined as: a "healthy food consumption pattern," a "milk consumption pattern" and an "unhealthy food consumption pattern." There was an association between the patterns in each age group, mainly related to skin color, gender, schooling of the head of the family, area of residence and region. A quarter of the children from 12 to 23 months consumed soft drinks, more than a third drank artificial juices and almost half ate candies the day before the interview. Three dietary patterns were identified, besides observing early food ingestion among children under six months of age.

Objetivou-se identificar os padrões de consumo alimentar e os fatores associados em crianças menores de dois anos no Brasil. Estudo transversal, de base populacional, utilizando dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde realizada em 2013. O consumo alimentar foi mensurado por questões dicotômicas, listando os alimentos, considerando apenas o dia anterior à entrevista. Os padrões foram identificados por meio de análise de componentes principais. Utilizou-se regressão de Poisson para obtenção de razão de prevalência bruta e ajustada. Considerou-se o efeito de delineamento amostral nas análises que foram estratificadas de acordo com a idade. Dentre as 5.052 crianças, foram identificados três padrões, sendo denominados como: "padrão de consumo de alimentos saudáveis", "padrão de consumo de leites" e "padrão de consumo de alimentos não saudáveis". Observou-se associação entre os padrões em cada faixa etária, principalmente com cor da pele, sexo, escolaridade do chefe da família, zona de residência e região. Um quarto das crianças de 12 a 23 meses ingeriu refrigerantes, mais de um terço sucos artificiais e quase metade doces no dia anterior à entrevista. Foram identificados três padrões alimentares, além de observar introdução alimentar precoce em crianças menores de seis meses de idade.

Padrões de consumo alimentar em crianças menores de dois anos no Brasil: Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde, 2013 / Food consumption patterns in children under two years of age in Brazil: National Health Survey, 2013

Resumo Objetivou-se identificar os padrões de consumo alimentar e os fatores associados em crianças menores de dois anos no Brasil. Estudo transversal, de base populacional, utilizando dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde realizada em 2013. O consumo alimentar foi mensurado por questões dicotômicas, listando os alimentos, considerando apenas o dia anterior à entrevista. Os padrões foram identificados por meio de análise de componentes principais. Utilizou-se regressão de Poisson para obtenção de razão de prevalência bruta e ajustada. Considerou-se o efeito de delineamento amostral nas análises que foram estratificadas de acordo com a idade. Dentre as 5.052 crianças, foram identificados três padrões, sendo denominados como: "padrão de consumo de alimentos saudáveis", "padrão de consumo de leites" e "padrão de consumo de alimentos não saudáveis". Observou-se associação entre os padrões em cada faixa etária, principalmente com cor da pele, sexo, escolaridade do chefe da família, zona de residência e região. Um quarto das crianças de 12 a 23 meses ingeriu refrigerantes, mais de um terço sucos artificiais e quase metade doces no dia anterior à entrevista. Foram identificados três padrões alimentares, além de observar introdução alimentar precoce em crianças menores de seis meses de idade.

Abstract The scope of this paper was to identify patterns of food consumption and associated factors among children under two years of age in Brazil. It involved a cross-sectional, population-based study using data from the National Health Survey conducted in 2013. Food consumption was measured by dichotomous questions, listing the food ingested solely on the day prior to the interview. The patterns were identified through principal component analysis. Poisson regression was used to obtain a crude and adjusted prevalence ratio. The sample design effect was considered in the analyses that were stratified according to age. Among the 5,052 children, three patterns were identified, being defined as: a "healthy food consumption pattern," a "milk consumption pattern" and an "unhealthy food consumption pattern." There was an association between the patterns in each age group, mainly related to skin color, gender, schooling of the head of the family, area of residence and region. A quarter of the children from 12 to 23 months consumed soft drinks, more than a third drank artificial juices and almost half ate candies the day before the interview. Three dietary patterns were identified, besides observing early food ingestion among children under six months of age.

Role of ultra-processed food in fat mass index between 6 and 11 years of age: a cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Ultra-processed food consumption and obesity have been highlighted as an important relationship to public health. We aimed to evaluate the association between ultra-processed food consumption and body fat from 6 to 11 years of age. METHODS: We assessed the association between ultra-processed food consumption (from food frequency questionnaires) and body fat (measured by air displacement plethysmography) between 6 and 11 years of age among participants of the Pelotas-Brazil 2004 Birth Cohort. The NOVA classification was used to classify foods according to the processing degree. Body fat was evaluated relative to the height using fat mass index (FMI). Generalized estimating equations were used to answer the main research question and mediation analyses were run to assess the direct and indirect effect of ultra-processed food in body fat. RESULTS: At fully adjusted analysis, an increase of 100 g in contribution from ultra-processed food to daily food intake at between 6 and 11 years of age was associated with a gain of 0.14 kg/m² in FMI in the same period; 58% of the total effect of ultra-processed food intake at 6 years (in grams) over the change in FMI from 6 to 11 years was mediated by its calorie content. CONCLUSIONS: Ultra-processed food consumption was associated with an increase in body fat from childhood to early adolescence, and this association was not just due to the effect of ultra-processed food on calorie content.