Bartira Mendes Gorgulho

Nutritional quality of major meals consumed away from home in Brazil and its association with the overall diet quality.

OBJECTIVE The objective of the study is to evaluate the nutritional quality of meals consumed away from home and its association with overall diet quality. METHOD Data was obtained from 834 participants of a Health Survey in São Paulo, Brazil. Food intake was measured by a 24-hour dietary recall applied telephonically using the Automated Multiple-Pass Method. Overall dietary quality was assessed by the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised (B-HEIR) and the Meal Quality Index (MQI) was used to evaluate dietary quality of the main meals. The association between the B-HEIR and the MQI was assessed by linear regression analysis. RESULTS The consumption of at least one of the three main meals away from home was reported for 32% of respondents (70 adolescents, 156 adults and 40 elderly). The average MQI score of lunch consumed away from home was lower than lunch consumed at home, with higher amounts of total and saturated fats. The average score of B-HEIR was 58 points and was associated with the MQI score, energy, meal consumption location and gender. CONCLUSION Lunch consumed away from home presented the worst quality, being higher in total and saturated fat. However, the meals consumed at home also need improvement.

Indices for the assessment of nutritional quality of meals: a systematic review.

This systematic review aimed to synthesise information on indices developed to evaluate nutritional quality of meals. A strategy for systematic search of the literature was developed using keywords related to assessment of meal quality. Databases searched included ScienceDirect, PubMed, Lilacs, SciELO, Scopus, Cochrane, Embase and Google Scholar. The literature search resulted in seven different meal quality indices. Each article was analysed in order to identify the following items: authors, country, year, study design, population characteristics, type of meal evaluated, dietary assessment method, characteristics evaluated (nutrients or food items), score range, index components, nutritional references, correlations performed, validation and relationship with an outcome (if existing). Two studies developed instruments to assess the quality of breakfast, three analysed lunch, one evaluated dinner and one was applied to all types of meals and snacks. All meal quality indices reviewed were based on the evaluation of presence or absence of food groups and relative contributions of nutrients, according to food-based guidelines or nutrient references, adapting the daily dietary recommendations to one specific meal. Most of the indices included three items as components for meal quality assessment: (I) total fat or some specific type of fat, (II) fruits and vegetables and (III) cereals or whole grains. This systematic review indicates aspects that need further research, particularly the numerous approaches to assessing meals considering different foods and nutrients, and the need for validation studies of meal indices.

Prevalência de omissão do café da manhã e seus fatores associados em adolescentes de São Paulo: estudo ISA-Capital

Objective: To describe the patterns of food intake for breakfast, the prevalence of omission of this meal, its relative share in the total intake of energy and nutrients, and the factors associated with its omission. Methods: A population-based, cross-sectional study (ISA - Capital) with 795 adolescents. The prevalence of omission of breakfast was analyzed using Chi-square test and Poisson regression considering a significance level of 5%. Differences in the intake of energy and nutrients among adolescents who omit and have breakfast was determined by the Student’s t-test and differences in the relative share of breakfast were verified by the test of proportion. The pattern of consumption of breakfast was investigated by factor analysis. Results: The prevalence of omission of breakfast was 38%, higher among female adolescents. The energy contribution of breakfast was 23%, with contribution in vitamins ranging from 17% in vitamin C, for males, up to 37% in vitamin A and D, for females. Through factor analysis, 12 food groups consumed for breakfast were characterized in five factors that demonstrate a pattern of consumption. Conclusion: The results show the need for actions that promote regular consumption and selection of appropriate food for this meal

Main meal quality in Brazil and United Kingdom : Similarities and differences

Consumption of fast food and ready-to-eat meals has been positively associated with obesity. In the UK, ready-made meals are more often consumed than in Brazil, a country in which nutrition transition is relatively low. This study aimed to compare the nutritional quality of the main meal consumed by adults in Brazil and UK. Food record data was obtained from representative samples from UK and Brazil databases. The Main Meal Quality Index (MMQI) was applied to estimate the quality of the main meal consumed in Brazil and UK. Differences in food groups consumed in the main meal in Brazil and UK were observed using classification decision tree. Meals with higher average energy content were lunch for Brazil, and dinner for the UK. On average, the Brazilian main meal had better nutritional quality (4.42 times higher), independently of sex, age, family income, nutritional status and energy consumed, with higher scores of fiber, carbohydrate, total fat, saturated fat and energy density. However, UKs main meal included more fruits and vegetables. Food preparations combined with rice and beans were classified as Brazilian main meal, while combinations with fast food items, as fried potatoes, sandwiches and sugary beverages, were classified as UK main meals. In Brazil, the main meal quality was lower among women and obese individuals, presenting significant positive association with age, and negative association with energy intake and family income; while in UK, only age was positively associated with MMQI. Although main meals in Brazil had higher nutritional quality compared to the UK, main meals consumed in both countries need nutritional improvement.

Evaluation of the psychometric properties of the main meal quality index when applied in the UK population

Background/Objectives:The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Main Meal Quality Index when applied on the UK population.Subjects/Methods:The indicator was developed to assess meal quality in different populations, and is composed of 10 components: fruit, vegetables (excluding potatoes), ratio of animal protein to total protein, fiber, carbohydrate, total fat, saturated fat, processed meat, sugary beverages and desserts, and energy density, resulting in a score range of 0–100 points. The performance of the indicator was measured using strategies for assessing content validity, construct validity, discriminant validity and reliability, including principal component analysis, linear regression models and Cronbach’s alpha.Results:The indicator presented good reliability.Conclusions:The Main Meal Quality Index has been shown to be valid for use as an instrument to evaluate, monitor and compare the quality of meals consumed by adults in the United Kingdom.

Away-from-home meals: Prevalence and characteristics in a metropolis

Objective: This study aimed to characterize away-from-home meals.Methods: This population-based, cross-sectional study measured dietary intake by administering 24-hour recalls by telephone. Away-from-home breakfast, lunch, and dinner were described and characterized according to the foods that contribute most to the intake of energy, fat, sodium, and added sugar permeal.Results: f the 834 respondents, 24% had had at least one meal away from home. The average energy intake per away-from-home meal was 628 kcal (±101 kcal), about 35% of the average daily intake for this population. Meals contained both healthy foods, such as rice, beans, and fish, and unhealthy foods, such as soft drinks, snacks, sandwiches, and pizza.Conclusion: Individuals who ate away from home had worse diets. However, the presence of healthy foods indicates a possibility of improvement if purposeful programmatic actions are taken.

Quality of diet of working college students

Considering the scarcity of studies with young workers and the role of diet in the prevention of chronic diseases, the objective of the study was to assess the quality of diet of working college students. The present study investigated 43 university students, aged between 18 and 25 years old who had systematically being involved in a working activity in the past 6 months, paid or unpaid, at least 6 hours daily, five days a week. Dietary intake measured by seven dietary records covering every day of the week was used to calculate the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised (B-HEIR). It was observed a low B-HEIR score (53.43,±7.81) indicating a risk of a poor quality of diet, with high intake of sodium and sugar and low consumption of fruits and whole grains. This poor quality of diet can result in an inadequate nutritional status that may increase the risk of obesity and chronic diseases.

Effects of an intervention in the workplace food environment

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effects of an intervention to reduce the energy density of meals in the workplace food environment.Design/methodology/approach – This study was conducted on a cosmetics manufacturer that employed 243 people, and was divided into three phases: diagnostic evaluation; development and testing of modifications to the energy density of the preparations; and evaluation of the results obtained. To evaluate the menus, the Meal Quality Index was used. This index consists of five components ranging from 0 to 20 points: “Adequacy of availability of vegetable and fruit”, “Carbohydrate availability”, “Total fat availability”, “Saturated fat availability” and “Menu variability”. The Kruskal‐Wallis test was used to evaluate differences in phases 1 and 3.Findings – The classification, according to the scores for the Meal Quality Index, showed that there was an improvement in the menus, with a decrease in inadequate menus from 31 per cent to 5 per cent and in menus nee...

Densidade energética da dieta e fatores associados: como está a população de São Paulo?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate dietary energy density in adults living in Sao Paulo and associated factors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Subjects were participants of ISA-Capital study, which was carried out with probabilistic sampling (n = 710 adults). Food consumption was assessed by R24h. Correlations with dietary constituents were evaluated using Pearsons correlation coefficient. Associations with demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle data were investigated by multivariate regression models. RESULTS: The average energy density was 1.98 kcal/g (95% CI [1.94, 2.01]). It was positively correlated with energy, fat, carbohydrate, cholesterol, saturated fat, sucrose, trans fat and added sugar intake; and negatively correlated with fiber intake. Only age and smoking were associated with energy density. CONCLUSIONS: High values ​​of energy density and the relationship determined with other nutritional constituents denote the poor quality of the diet in this population, which may be contributing to the rising rates of overweight. Arq Bras Endocrinol Metab. 2012;56(9):638-45

P1-230 Validity of self-reported hypertension among Brazilian adults

Introduction Hypertension, a chronic disease with high prevalence and trend of increase in Brazil, has important influence on morbidity and mortality. Self-report are widely used to assess hypertension in surveys, due to low cost. However, there are few validation studies of the self-reported hypertension data. Objective To investigate the validity of self-reported hypertension among adults. Methods Data from a population-based survey and a complementary study carried out between 2008 and 2010, in 186 Brazilian adults (20 y or over), residents in São Paulo. Sensitivity, specificity as well as predictive values positive (PVP) and negative (PVN) of self-reported hypertension were calculated in relation to hypertension, according to the criteria of the Seventh Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure (means diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg and/or systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg and/or present use of anti-hypertensive drugs). Results The validity of self-reported hypertension was relatively high in adults: sensitivity 87%, specificity 75%, PVP 70% and PVN 89%. Conclusion Self-reported hypertension may be used in calculating the prevalence of this chronic disease for monitoring of hypertension trends, in the absence of measured blood pressure, among this population.