Sonia Tucunduva Philippi

Concurrent and discriminant validity of the Stunkard’s figure rating scale adapted into Portuguese

This study examined the concurrent and discriminant validity of the Figure Rating Scale adapted into Portuguese. The sample was composed of a control group (98 students without eating disorders) and a clinical group (16 women diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa). Respondents chose schematic figures representing their current and ideal body sizes. The difference between the two choices was calculated to give an ideal discrepancy score. There were high correlations between body mass index and current body size or ideal discrepancy score. The ideal discrepancy scores were greater among the clinical group, indicating that the scale could discriminate between the two groups. The results of this preliminary work indicate that the scale is a valid measure of body image when used in Brazil.

Consumo infantil de alimentos industrializados e renda familiar na cidade de São Paulo

OBJETIVO: Descrever o consumo infantil de alimentos industrializados e a relacao com a renda familiar per capita, com base em inquerito domiciliar. METODOS: O consumo alimentar de uma amostra probabilistica da populacao infantil residente na cidade de Sao Paulo, entre zero e 59 meses de idade (n=718), foi estudado em 1995/1996 por meio de inquerito recordatorio de 24h. Analisou-se a relacao entre o consumo de 24 alimentos industrializados e a renda familiar per capita, distribuida em quartis. RESULTADOS: O consumo de acucar foi maior entre as criancas de menor renda, enquanto achocolatados, chocolates, iogurte, leite em po modificado e refrigerantes foram mais consumidos por criancas de maior renda familiar per capita (p<0,05). CONCLUSOES: Concluiu-se que a renda familiar per capita influencia o consumo de alguns alimentos industrializados.

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.

Validaçäo de questionários de freqüência alimentar - QFA: consideraçöes metodológicas

O Questionario de Frequencia Alimentar (QFA) tornou-se o metodo dominante nos estudos epidemiologicos para avaliacao do consumo dietetico, em especial para avaliar a relacao da dieta com a ocorrencia de doencas cronicas nao transmissiveis. O QFA e um instrumento que tem como objetivo a avaliacao da dieta habitual de grupos populacionais e apresenta como vantagens a rapidez na aplicacao e a eficiencia na pratica epidemiologica para identificar o consumo habitual de alimentos, alem do baixo custo. Comparado a outros instrumentos, substitui a medicao da ingestao alimentar de um ou varios dias pela informacao global da ingestao de um periodo amplo de tempo. Constitui ferramenta util nos estudos sempre que seu desenvolvimento tenha sido precedido por procedimentos metodologicos cuidadosamente planejados que garantirao confiabilidade e precisao dos dados. Para tanto, sao necessarios estudos de validacao que permitam estimar os erros de medicao proprios do metodo. Sem o reconhecimento destes erros, a relacao dieta-doenca podera estar prejudicada. Este artigo pretende abordar de forma sistematica consideracoes metodologicas para a realizacao de estudos de validacao de QFA.

Proximate food composition and caloric value of foods from animal origen

Proximate food composition data are very important to any professionals of food science and human nutrition area. In Brazil they are rare or do not exist. The food composition of items, of animal origin, usually consumed in the diet: meat, milk e eggs, were analyzed in order to determine their caloric value. After that they were compared with the data in the Tables of Food Composition (TFC) commonly used to our professionals. It was observed that there are smaller differences in the values obtained for eggs, than milk, pork, beef, chicken. Although significant difference was not detected between determined caloric values and the ones from TFC, these report should be considered to professionals that use the TFC.

Desenvolvimento de um questionário de freqüência alimentar para avaliação do consumo alimentar de crianças de 2 a 5 anos de idade

Devido ao crescente interesse sobre a possivel relacao entre a alimentacao de criancas e adolescentes e doencas na idade adulta, a dieta de individuos jovens tem sido pesquisada. Este trabalho teve por objetivo desenvolver um questionario de frequencia alimentar para avaliar a dieta habitual de criancas de 2 a 5 anos de idade (QFAC). Foram identificados os alimentos mais representativos para o consumo de energia - carboidrato, proteina, lipidio, retinol, vitamina C, calcio e ferro - a partir de recordatorios de 24h de criancas de 2 a 5 anos do municipio de Sao Paulo. No QFAC foram definidas porcoes medias ou medianas, o tempo precedente foi estipulado em 6 meses e a frequencia de consumo apresentada em 7 categorias. O QFAC apresentou-se como um instrumento adequado para a avaliacao da dieta habitual de criancas de 2 a 5 anos de idade, possibilitando a investigacao das caracteristicas da alimentacao habitual deste grupo e o estabelecimento das possiveis relacoes entre a dieta e o estado nutricional.This study was conducted to design a food frequency questionnaire for assessing the regular diets of children aged 2 to 5 years. It identified the most important sources of total calories, carbohydrate, proteins, total fat, retinol, vitamin C, calcium and iron from 24h dietary recalls applied to a random population sample aged 2 to 5 years in the city of Sao Paulo. Average or median portions were defined. The FFQ investigated the frequency of childrens consumption of 57 items over the previous six months. Seven categories of food frequency were defined. The FFQ proved to be useful in epidemiological studies of childrens intake over extended periods, making it possible to identify the dietary habits of this group and to evaluate the association between diet and nutritional status.

Insatisfação com a imagem corporal em universitárias brasileiras

Body image dissatisfaction is evaluated according to the difference between the real figure and idealized figure, and could influence eating behaviors. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate body dissatisfaction among female university students from the five regions of Brazil and possible associations and correlations with age, nutritional status, individual income and parental education. METHODS: 2,402 students answered the Stunkards Body Image Scale and regions were compared by variance analysis, and correlations among variables with Pearsons and Spearmans coefficients. RESULTS: 64.4% desired a figure smaller than their actual one, and even the normal weight range students chose ideal and healthy smaller figures. In North region the ideal and healthy patterns were smaller and in the Central West bigger. CONCLUSION: Occurrence of body dissatisfaction was common among Brazilian university students and some regional and socio demographic differences must be considered.

Nutrição e saúde infantil em uma comunidade indígena Teréna, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

This paper describes the health and nutritional situation of South American Indian children from a Teréna community, characterizing their nutritional status, food consumption, and socioeconomic and environmental conditions. The sample included 100 children, ranging from 0 to 59 months of age and living in Aldeia Córrego do Meio, Mato Grosso do Sul. Prevailing nutritional deficits were: 8.0% for the weight-for-age index, 16.0% for height-for-age, and 5.0% for weight-for-height. The growth deficit rate was higher than that of the Brazilian population as a whole, probably reflecting the precarious socioeconomic, environmental, and health conditions in this Teréna community. Analysis of the average nutrient sufficiency in the infant diet showed that nutritional recommendations for the different groups were not complied with. New studies, characterized as transdisciplinary and longitudinal, are necessary to better understand this process.

Orthorexia nervosa behavior in a sample of Brazilian dietitians assessed by the Portuguese version of ORTO-15.

BACKGROUND: Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is described as an obsessive pathological behavior characterized by a strong preoccupation with healthy eating and the avoidance of foods or ingredients considered unhealthy by the subject. Although it is still not officially recognized as an eating disorder, previous studies have discussed its frequency in some groups and a fifteen-question test (ORTO-15) was developed elsewhere to assess ON behavior. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate ON behavior in a sample of Brazilian dietitians after testing the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of ORTO-15. METHODS: A total of 392 dietitians answered an online version of the test. The answers were analyzed regarding ON tendency, according with the scoring grid proposed by its authors. Exploratory factor analysis was performed and internal consistency was assessed. RESULTS: It was found that three questions of the test presented loadings lower than 0.5. The 12 remaining question formed 3 factors with internal consistency of -0.51, 0.63 and 0.47. The answers of the participants to these questions revealed a tendency to orthorexic behavior, mainly regarding aspects such as: making food choices conditioned by worry about health status, evaluating food rather from nutritional quality than from its taste, believing that consuming healthy food may improve appearance, discrediting the influence of mood on eating behavior and banning food choices considered by them as eating transgressions. CONCLUSION: There is no evidence of the validity and reliability of the ORTO-15 with the initial psychometric evaluation performed. Further analyses are needed. Nevertheless, it was possible to observe a high frequency of orthorexic behavior among the studied Brazilian dietitians. However, additional studies are needed to completely understand dietitians behavior toward ON.

Comportamento de risco para transtorno alimentar em universitárias brasileiras

CONTEXTO: Comportamentos de risco para transtornos alimentares envolvem atitudes e praticas inadequadas para com o alimento e o peso e podem ser avaliados com base em instrumentos validados. OBJETIVOS: Avaliar comportamento de risco para transtornos alimentares em universitarias brasileiras das cinco regioes do pais. METODOS: 2.483 universitarias responderam ao Teste de Atitudes Alimentares (EAT-26) nas cinco regioes. A pontuacao no teste foi comparada entre as regioes por meio do teste qui-quadrado. Possiveis associacoes ou correlacoes com curso de graduacao, idade, estado nutricional, renda individual e escolaridade do chefe da familia foram avaliadas pelos coeficientes de Pearson e Spearman. Uma analise de covariância comparou o escore do EAT entre as regioes. RESULTADOS: A frequencia de comportamento de risco para transtornos alimentares variou de 23,7% a 30,1% nas cinco regioes e nao houve diferenca na pontuacao media do EAT e na proporcao de escores positivos para comportamento de risco entre as regioes. Nao houve forte correlacao do escore do EAT com nenhuma das variaveis. CONCLUSAO: Universitarias brasileiras apresentam alta frequencia de comportamentos de risco para TA em todas as regioes do pais. Medidas de prevencao devem ser planejadas para a populacao jovem feminina do Brasil.