Erika Christiane Toassa

Consumo alimentar e padrão de refeições de adolescentes, São Paulo, Brasil

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o consumo alimentar e o padrao de refeicoes de adolescentes, Sao Paulo, Brasil. METODOS: Por meio do Recordatorio de 24 horas, avaliou-se o consumo energetico total, de macronutrientes, calcio, ferro e vitamina A e a omissao de refeicoes ou sua substituicao por lanche, de adolescentes de uma escola publica de Ilhabela. Comparou-se o consumo alimentar por grupo com a Pirâmide Alimentar do adolescente. Foi realizada analise descritiva, aplicou-se o teste Qui-quadrado (p < 0,005), alem de analise qualitativa. RESULTADOS: o consumo energetico total foi inferior ao estimado para 66% dos adolescentes, o percentual de carboidratos foi abaixo do recomendado e o de lipidios e proteinas acima do recomendado. Houve omissao do cafe da manha entre 21% dos adolescentes e um terco deles substituiu almoco ou jantar por lanche. CONCLUSAO: Os adolescentes apresentaram insuficiencia calorica na dieta e baixo consumo de frutas, verduras e legumes; o padrao de refeicoes foi satisfatorio, mas o cafe da manha deve ser incentivado.

Preventing obesity among Brazilian adolescent girls: Six-month outcomes of the Healthy Habits, Healthy Girls-Brazil school-based randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND School-based trials to prevent and reduce prevalence of pediatric obesity in low-income countries are necessary. In Brazil, addressing adolescent obesity is a public health priority. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of a group randomized controlled trial involving a 6-month multicomponent school-based obesity prevention program targeting adolescent girls. METHODS The Healthy Habits, Healthy Girls-Brazil program recruited participants (n=253; 16.05±0.05 years) from ten eligible public technical schools in São Paulo, Brazil. The program was adapted from an Australian intervention study, which is based on the Social Cognitive Theory. The primary outcome measure was body mass index (BMI), and secondary outcomes included BMI z score, waist circumference, and various sedentary and dietary health-related behaviours. RESULTS Although changes in BMI were not statistically significant, differences favored the intervention group (adjusted mean difference, -0.26kg/m(2),se SE=0.018, p=0.076). Statistically significant intervention effects were found for waist circumference (-2.28cm; p=, p=0.01), computer screen time on the weekends (0.63h/day, p; p=0.02), total sedentary activities on the weekends (-0.92h/day, p<0.01), and vegetable intake (1.16servings/day, p=0.01). CONCLUSION These findings provide some evidence for the benefit of a school-based intervention to prevent unhealthy weight gain in adolescent girls living in low-income communities.

What do the adolescents prefer: food from school or competitive foods?

Abstract Objective: To identify and justify adolescents’ food choices during recess at school and to get to know school staff vision about the students’ acceptance of the Brazilian School Meal Program. Material and Methods: It´s a cross-sectional study in a public school in Sao Paulo, based on the Theory of the So-cial Representations. Eighty-three adolescents were selected and asked to identify their food choices du -ring recess at school. Complementary to this survey, twelve school staff members answered an interview aimed at identifying their own view on the students’ acceptance of the Brazilian School Meal. Data analysis was done using the Discourse of Collective Subject technique, identifying the methodological figures – key-expressions and central ideas – for the construction of their discourse. Results: Although the adolescents don’t like the meals offered by the program, they adhere to it since it is the only alterna -tive they have at school. Nevertheless, it is common for them to buy food in establishments nearby or to bring it from home as a complement or a substitute for the school meal. In the school staff´s vision the adolescents like the school meal. However, they considered that some of the foods are not part of the adolescents’ eating habits or do not attract them due to their organoleptic characteristics.