Condições socioeconômicas e padrões alimentares de crianças de 4 a 11 anos: estudo SCAALA - Salvador/ Bahia The socio-economic conditions and patterns of food intake in children aged between 4 and 11 years: the SCAALA study - Salvador/ Bahia

Abstract

OBJETIVOS: identificar os padrões alimentares de crianças e sua associação com o nível socioeconômico das famílias. MÉTODOS: estudo transversal com 1260 crianças de 4 a 11 anos, residentes em Salvador-Bahia que incluiu aplicação de um Questionário de Frequência Alimentar semi-quantitativo. Os padrões alimentares foram identificados, empregando-se análise fatorial por componentes principais. O nível socioeconômico foi avaliado por meio de um indicador socioeconômico composto. Regressão logística multivariada foi empregada. RESULTADOS: identificaram-se quatro padrões que explicaram 45,9% da variabilidade dos dados de frequência alimentar. Crianças que pertencem ao nível socioeconômico mais alto têm 1,60 vezes mais chance (pOBJECTIVE: to identify the patterns of food intake in children and the association between these and the socio-economic conditions of their families. METHODS: a cross-sectional study was carried out with 1260 children aged between 4 and 11 years, resident in the city of Salvador, in the Brazilian State of Bahia, including application of a semi-quantitative Food Intake Frequency questionnaire. The pattern of food intake of the children was assessed using factorial analysis by principal components. socio-economic level was assessed using a compound socio-economic indicator. Multivariate logistic regression was employed. RESULTS: four food groups were identified that explained 45.9% of the variability in food intake frequency data. Children from a more privileged socio-economic background were found to be 1.6 times more likely (p<0.001) to have a higher frequency of intake of food from group 1 (fruit, vegetables, pulses, cereals and sea food) and 3.09 times more likely (p<0.001) to have a higher frequency of consumption of food from group 2 (milk and dairy products, ketchup/mustard/mayonnaise and chicken), compared with children from a less privileged background. The opposite was found for group 4 (processed meat products, eggs, and red meat); with the children from more privileged backgrounds less likely to consume food from this group. A similar tendency was found for food from group 3 (fried food, sweets, snacks, soda/artificial fruit juice). CONCLUSION: patterns of food intake in children depend on the socio-economic conditions of their families and the choice of healthier food is associated with a more privileged socio-economic background.

Keywords

• Padrões alimentares
• Condições socioeconômicas
• Criança
• Estudos transversais
• Feeding behavior
• socio-economic factors
• Child
• cross-sectional studies