1. Stability and change in fruit and vegetable intake of Brazilian adolescents over a 3-year period: 1993 Pelotas Birth Cohort
- Author
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Cora Luiza Pavin Araújo, Maria Cecília Formoso Assunção, Aluísio J D Barros, Helen Gonçalves, Romina Buffarini, Ludmila Correa Muniz, and Ana M. B. Menezes
- Subjects
Male ,0301 basic medicine ,Adolescent ,Medicine (miscellaneous) ,Distribution (economics) ,Health Promotion ,Disease ,Adolescents ,Fruits and vegetables ,03 medical and health sciences ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,Environmental health ,Vegetables ,Nutrition transition ,Humans ,Medicine ,Prospective Studies ,2. Zero hunger ,Consumption (economics) ,030505 public health ,030109 nutrition & dietetics ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,business.industry ,Tracking ,Monitoring and Surveillance ,1. No poverty ,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health ,Feeding Behavior ,Micronutrient ,Research Papers ,3. Good health ,Nutrition Assessment ,Socioeconomic Factors ,Dietary Reference Intake ,Fruit ,Cohort studies ,Female ,Energy Intake ,0305 other medical science ,business ,Brazil ,Follow-Up Studies ,Cohort study - Abstract
Fruits and vegetables (FV) are important components of a healthy diet. They usually have low energy density and are sources of many vitamins, minerals and other bioactive components that bring health benefits( 1 – 3 ). According to WHO, low consumption of FV is one of the top ten risk factors for global mortality. Their adequate intake reduces the risk of non-communicable chronic diseases and also prevents and corrects multiple micronutrient deficiencies, especially in low- and middle-income countries( 1 , 2 , 4 ). Despite existing strategies and campaigns such as the ‘global strategy of food, physical activity and health’ and ‘5 a day’ which aim to increase the consumption of FV( 5 , 6 ), FV intake is still low among individuals of all ages in comparison with the current recommendation (400 g/d)( 6 – 8 ). Furthermore, several studies have found that this scenario of low consumption is especially common among children and adolescents from low-, middle- and high-income countries( 9 – 11 ). For instance, the literature shows that many Brazilian adolescents do not eat enough FV( 12 – 14 ). There is growing evidence that major behavioural and biological risk factors arise early in life and continue to have a negative impact over the subsequent years( 1 ). In addition, studies assessing eating habits suggest there are critical aspects during adolescence that have an impact on chronic diseases, such as the development of risk factors during this period and their potential stability throughout life( 1 , 15 – 17 ). The latter could be measured through tracking analyses, which assess the stability of a certain outcome variable over a period of time. These analyses involve the maintenance of a relative position within a distribution of values over time( 18 – 20 ). Also, the study of the dynamics of consumption towards a less or more healthy direction may be important in predicting the development of a disease. In high-income countries, there are several studies reporting longitudinal trends of consumption of FV( 15 , 21 – 28 ). However, we could not find studies assessing this item among low- and middle-income countries, where this information has become relevant for the nutrition transition phase that is taking place in those settings( 1 ). Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the stability and changes in FV intake of urban Brazilians adolescents over a 3-year period. A greater knowledge of these issues will be useful for the development of actions to promote healthful eating habits during this life stage.
- Published
- 2015