Avaliação do consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados em uma escola municipal localizada em Cabedelo - PB

Abstract

Inadequate nutrition during adolescence is one of the main risk factors for the development of overweight and obesity, in addition to chronic non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and cancer. This study aimed to identify and analyze the consumption of ultra-processed foods in a municipal school located in Cabedelo. This is a cross-sectional study, carried out between july and october of 2024, with 72 adolescents, between 10 and 19 years old, enrolled in elementary school in the municipality of Cabedelo - PB. Two 24-hour recalls were applied, with an interval of approximately 15 days, on non-consecutive days, one referring to the weekend (sunday) and the other during the week. Ultra-processed foods were classified into 12 groups, according to the similarity of their nutritional profile. The results identified an average age of the participants of 12.5 years. The most consumed groups of ultra-processed foods were: soft drinks, industrialized juices and other sweetened beverages (27.84%), processed meats and sausages (15.85%) and sweet and savory cookies (12.45%). The average total caloric intake was 1,720.21 kcal, while the average calories from ultra-processed foods was 614.67 kcal. The average consumption of ultra-processed foods by age group corresponded to 35.03% in participants < 12 years old and 41.11% in students ≥ 12 years old. The consumption of ultra-processed foods had a significant participation in the diet of adolescents, the research data revealed that the average consumption is 35.73%. The results obtained in this study show a high consumption of ultra-processed foods among students, with discrete variations in consumption between sexes and age groups.