Minimum dietary diversity and consumption of ultra-processed foods among Brazilian children 6-23 months of age.

The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) and consumption of ultra-processed foods in children 6-23 months of age according to sociodemographic variables. Three indicators of complementary feeding of 4,354 children from the Brazilian National Survey on Child Nutrition (ENANI-2019) were built based on a questionnaire about food consumption on the day before the interview: MDD, consumption of ultra-processed foods, and MDD without the consumption of ultra-processed foods. The prevalence and 95%CI were calculated, stratified by macroregion; race/skin color, education and work status of the mother or caregiver; enrollment in the Brazilian Income Transfer Program; household food security; sanitation; and child enrollment in daycare/school. The overall prevalence of MDD was 63.4%, with lower prevalences among children who lived in the North Region (54.8%), whose mothers or caregivers had 0-7 years of education (50.6%), and lived under moderate or severe food insecurity (52.6%). Ultra-processed foods were consumed by 80.5% of the children, with the highest prevalence in the North Region (84.5%). The prevalence of MDD without ultra-processed foods was 8.4% and less prevalent among children with black mothers or caregivers (3.6%) and among those whose mother or caregiver had 8-10 years of education (3.6%). The most frequently consumed food groups from the MDD indicator were grains, roots and tubers (90.2%), dairy products (81%) and those from ultra-processed food were sweet or salty cookies/crackers (51.3%) and instant flours (41.4%). The ubiquitous presence of ultra-processed foods in the diets of Brazilian children and the low frequency of diversified foods, especially among the most vulnerable populations, indicate the need to strengthen policies and programs to ensure adequate and healthy infant nutrition.

Minimum dietary diversity and consumption of ultra-processed foods among Brazilian children 6-23 months of age / Diversidade alimentar mínima e o consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados em crianças brasileiras de 6-23 meses / Diversidad alimentaria mínima y consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados en niños brasileños de 6-23 meses de edad

Abstract: The study aimed to estimate the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity (MDD) and consumption of ultra-processed foods in children 6-23 months of age according to sociodemographic variables. Three indicators of complementary feeding of 4,354 children from the Brazilian National Survey on Child Nutrition (ENANI-2019) were built based on a questionnaire about food consumption on the day before the interview: MDD, consumption of ultra-processed foods, and MDD without the consumption of ultra-processed foods. The prevalence and 95%CI were calculated, stratified by macroregion; race/skin color, education and work status of the mother or caregiver; enrollment in the Brazilian Income Transfer Program; household food security; sanitation; and child enrollment in daycare/school. The overall prevalence of MDD was 63.4%, with lower prevalences among children who lived in the North Region (54.8%), whose mothers or caregivers had 0-7 years of education (50.6%), and lived under moderate or severe food insecurity (52.6%). Ultra-processed foods were consumed by 80.5% of the children, with the highest prevalence in the North Region (84.5%). The prevalence of MDD without ultra-processed foods was 8.4% and less prevalent among children with black mothers or caregivers (3.6%) and among those whose mother or caregiver had 8-10 years of education (3.6%). The most frequently consumed food groups from the MDD indicator were grains, roots and tubers (90.2%), dairy products (81%) and those from ultra-processed food were sweet or salty cookies/crackers (51.3%) and instant flours (41.4%). The ubiquitous presence of ultra-processed foods in the diets of Brazilian children and the low frequency of diversified foods, especially among the most vulnerable populations, indicate the need to strengthen policies and programs to ensure adequate and healthy infant nutrition.

Resumo: O objetivo do estudo foi estimar a prevalência de diversidade alimentar mínima (DAM) e consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados em crianças de 6-23 meses de acordo com variáveis sociodemográficas. Três indicadores de alimentação complementar de 4.354 crianças do Estudo Nacional de Alimentação e Nutrição Infantil (ENANI-2019) foram construídos com base em um questionário sobre o consumo alimentar do dia anterior à entrevista: DAM, consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados e DAM sem consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados. Foram calculadas as prevalências e IC95%, estratificados por macrorregião; raça/cor da pele, escolaridade e situação profissional da mãe ou cuidador; inscrição no Programa Bolsa Família; segurança alimentar do domicílio; saneamento; e matrícula da criança em creche/escola. A prevalência geral de DAM foi de 63,4%, com menores prevalências entre crianças que residiam na Região Norte (54,8%), cujas maẽs ou cuidadores tinham de 0-7 anos de estudo (50,6%) e entre aquelas que viviam em situação de insegurança alimentar moderada ou grave (52,6%). Os alimentos ultraprocessados foram consumidos por 80,5% das crianças, com maior prevalência na Região Norte (84,5%). A prevalência de DAM sem alimentos ultraprocessados foi de 8,4%, sendo menos prevalente entre crianças cuja mãe ou cuidador era negro (3,6%) e entre aquelas cuja mãe ou cuidador tinha 8-10 anos de estudo (3,6%). Os grupos de alimentos do indicador DAM mais consumidos foram os cereais, raizes e tubérculos (90,2%), os derivados do leite (81%) e os dos alimentos ultraprocessados foram os biscoitos (51,3%) e os cereais instantâneos (41,4%). A onipresença de alimentos ultraprocessados na alimentação das crianças brasileiras e a baixa frequência de diversidade alimentar, especialmente entre as populações mais vulneráveis, indicam a necessidade de fortalecer políticas e programas para garantir uma nutrição infantil adequada e saudável.

Resumen: El objetivo del estudio fue estimar la prevalencia de diversidad alimentaria mínima (DDM) y consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados en niños de 6-23 meses según variables sociodemográficas. Se construyeron tres indicadores de alimentación complementaria de 4.354 niños de el Estudio Nacional de Alimentación y Nutrición Infantil (ENANI-2019) a partir de un cuestionario sobre el consumo de alimentos el día anterior a la entrevista: DDM, consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados y DDM sin consumo de alimentos ultraprocesados. Se calcularon la prevalencia y los IC95%, estratificados por macrorregión; raza/color de piel, situación educativa y laboral de la madre o cuidador; inscripción al Programa Bolsa Familia; seguridad alimentaria del hogar; saneamiento; e inscripción de niños en guarderías/escuelas. La prevalencia general de DDM fue del 63,4%, con prevalencias menores entre los niños que vivían en la Región Norte (54,8%), cuyas madres o cuidadores tenían entre 0-7 años de escolaridad (50.6%) y los que vivían en inseguridad alimentaria moderada o grave (52,6%). Los alimentos ultraprocesados fueron consumidos por el 80,5% de los niños, con mayor prevalencia en la Región Norte (84,5%). La prevalencia de DDM sin alimentos ultraprocesados fue del 8,4%, siendo menos prevalente entre niños de padres negros (3,6%) y con 8-10 años de escolaridad (3,6%). Los grupos de alimentos más consumidos del indicador DDM fueron los granos, raíces y tubérculos (90,2%), y los productos lácteos (81%) y los de alimentos ultraprocesados fueron las galletas (51,3%) y los cereales instantáneos (41,4%). La presencia ubicua de alimentos ultraprocesados en las dietas de los niños brasileños y la baja frecuencia diversidad dietética, especialmente entre las poblaciones más vulnerables, indican la necesidad de fortalecer políticas y programas para garantizar una nutrición infantil adecuada y saludable.

Agreement between self-reported pre-pregnancy weight and measured first-trimester weight in Brazilian women.

BACKGROUND: Self-reported pre-pregnancy weight and weight measured in the first trimester are both used to estimate pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) but there is limited information on how they compare, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where access to a weight scale can be limited. Thus, the main goal of this study was to evaluate the agreement between self-reported pre-pregnancy weight and weight measured during the first trimester of pregnancy among Brazilian women so as to assess whether self-reported pre-pregnancy weight is reliable and can be used for calculation of BMI and GWG. METHODS: Data from the Brazilian Maternal and Child Nutrition Consortium (BMCNC, n = 5563) and the National Food and Nutritional Surveillance System (SISVAN, n = 393,095) were used to evaluate the agreement between self-reported pre-pregnancy weight and weights measured in three overlapping intervals (30-94, 30-60 and 30-45 days of pregnancy) and their impact in BMI classification. We calculated intraclass correlation and Lin's concordance coefficients, constructed Bland and Altman plots, and determined Kappa coefficient for the categories of BMI. RESULTS: The mean of the differences between self-reported and measured weights was < 2 kg during the three intervals examined for BMCNC (1.42, 1.39 and 1.56 kg) and about 1 kg for SISVAN (1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 kg). Intraclass correlation and Lin's coefficient were > 0.90 for both datasets in all time intervals. Bland and Altman plots showed that the majority of the difference laid in the ±2 kg interval and that the differences did not vary according to measured first-trimester BMI. Kappa coefficient values were > 0.80 for both datasets at all intervals. Using self-reported pre-pregnancy or measured weight would change, in total, the classification of BMI in 15.9, 13.5, and 12.2% of women in the BMCNC and 12.1, 10.7, and 10.2% in the SISVAN, at 30-94, 30-60 and 30-45 days, respectively. CONCLUSION: In Brazil, self-reported pre-pregnancy weight can be used for calculation of BMI and GWG when an early measurement of weight during pregnancy is not available. These results are especially important in a country where the majority of woman do not initiate prenatal care early in pregnancy.