Perfil antropométrico de alimentos ultraprocessados de escolares de um município mineiro

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the anthropometric profile and the consumption of ultra-processed foods by Brazilian children from a public school. Descriptive, cross-sectional and quantitative study was conducted with 141 students from a municipal educational insti- tution in Minas Gerais. A structured questionnaire was developed in order to assess demographic and anthropometric variables, as well as food consumption. The Body Mass Index by Age variable was used to assess nutritional status; measures such as waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio were used to assess central obesity among students. Food intake was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire, adapted to better assess the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Differences between propor- tions were estimated using Pearson’s χ2 test. In all statistical analyzes, a significance level of 5% was considered. It was observed that 11.3% (n = 16) of the children were classified as underweight, while 34.0% (n = 48) were overweight. Interestingly, students with overweight were those who had the highest consumption of ultra-processed foods. Regarding the presence of central obesity, 7.1% (n = 10) of girls and 9.2% (n = 13) of boys were at increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease. The outcomes of this study showed a considerable percentage of children with excess weight and the expressive presence of ultra-processed foods in the pattern of food consumption of schoolchildren. Thus, it is pertinent to carry out effective food and nutrition education actions aimed at stimulating healthier food consumption and promoting improvement in nutritional status.