Background:
Adolescence is a critical transition period where social and psychological changes significantly influence dietary habits. Inappropriate dietary practices, characterized by high intake of saturated fats and sugars and low fruit and vegetable consumption, are major determinants of nutritional status and are linked to the global pandemic of overweight and obesity. Understanding complex dietary patterns, rather than isolated nutrients, is essential to design effective nutritional interventions.
Abstract:
Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 1,496 adolescents (ages 11–17) from public schools in Salvador, Brazil. Data on socioeconomic status, pubertal development, anthropometric status (BMI), and food consumption (via a validated Food Frequency Questionnaire) were collected. Multivariate analyses, including hierarchical clustering and correlation networks, were used to describe dietary profiles.
Results: Four main clusters of food groups were identified based on intake similarity. While sex and anthropometric status did not influence the average amount of food consumed, network analysis revealed striking qualitative differences. Eutrophic and underweight adolescents showed mostly positive correlations between food groups. In contrast, overweight and obese adolescents exhibited several inverse (negative) correlations, indicating a selective and unbalanced dietary profile where the consumption of certain groups (e.g., vegetables) was replaced by others (e.g., fast food and oils).
Conclusion: Overweight and obesity in adolescents are associated with a selectivity in food group ingestion rather than just total quantitative intake. These findings suggest that weight gain is driven by nutritional imbalances resulting from specific dietary choices.
Keywords: dietary intake; food group; adolescents; dietary patterns; anthropometric status; multidimensional statistical analysis.
Clique aqui
- Data de Publicação: 19/08/2019
- Autores: Vanessa M.B. Andrade 1 , Mônica L.P. de Santana 1 , Kiyoshi F. Fukutani 2,3,4, Artur T.L. Queiroz 2,3 , Maria B. Arriaga 2,3, Maria Ester P. Conceição-Machado 1 , Rita de Cássia R. Silva 1 and Bruno B. Andrade 2,3,4,5,6,*
