Association between diet quality index and cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents: Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA).

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the association between diet quality, assessed by the Diet Quality Index for Adolescents adapted for Brazilians (DQIA-BR), and cardiometabolic markers in adolescents. METHODS: The DQIA-BR and cardiometabolic markers were assessed in 36 956 Brazilian adolescents (12-17 y old) enrolled in the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (ERICA), a national school-based cross-sectional multicenter study in Brazil. For analyses, the sample was stratified by sex and nutritional status. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate the association between DQIA-BR and cardiometabolic markers (total cholesterol, HDL-c, LDL-c, triglycerides, fasting glucose and HOMA-IR). Adjusted models were constructed with two input levels of covariates. The first model was adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic status; in the second model, total energy intake, physical activity, and sedentary behavior were included. RESULTS: A higher DQIA-BR score was associated with a better cardiometabolic profile in girls with normal weight; however, no association was observed in those with overweight/obesity. In boys with overweight/obesity, a better quality of diet was associated with lower concentrations of total cholesterol (ß = -0.338, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.611 to -0.066) and LDL-c (ß = -0.227, 95% CI: -0.448 to -0.005), but only LDL-c remained significant in those with normal weight (ß = -0.115, 95% CI: -0.224 to 0.005). CONCLUSION: The effects of diet quality on cardiometabolic risk factors differ according to sex and the presence of overweight/obesity. Overall, DQIA-BR is a suitable tool to evaluate the association between diet quality and cardiometabolic markers in normal-weight adolescents, but not for adolescents, especially girls, with overweight/obesity.

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among Brazilian adolescents over time: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the burden of excess weight in Brazilian adolescents. DESIGN: Systematic review with meta-analysis. SETTING: We searched the literature in four databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SciELO and LILACS). Studies were included if they had cross-sectional or cohort design and enrolled Brazilian adolescents. Studies based on self-reported measures were excluded. Random effect models were used to calculate prevalence estimates and their 95 % CI. PARTICIPANTS: Brazilian adolescents (10 to 19 years old). RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-one studies were included. Trend analyses showed a significant increase in the prevalence of excess weight in the last decades: 8·2 % (95 % CI 7·7, 8·7) until year 2000, 18·9 (95 % CI 14·7, 23·2) from 2000 to 2009, and 25·1 % (95 % CI 23·4, 26·8) in 2010 and after. A similar temporal pattern was observed in the prevalence of overweight and obesity separately. In sensitivity analyses, lower prevalence of excess weight was found in older adolescents and those defined using International Obesity Task Force cut-off points. The Southeast and South regions had the highest prevalence of excess weight, overweight and obesity. No significant difference in prevalence by sex was found, except for studies before the year 2000. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity in Brazilian adolescents is high and continues to rise. Public policies on an individual level and targeting modifications in the obesogenic environment are necessary.