Fatores associados ao consumo adequado de frutas e hortaliças em escolares de Santa Catarina, Brasil Factors associated with adequate fruit and vegetable intake by schoolchildren in Santa Catarina State, Brazil

• Main Authors: Larissa da Cunha Feio Costa, Francisco de Assis Guedes de Vasconcelos, Arlete Catarina Tittoni Corso
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz 2012-06-01
• Series: Cadernos de Saúde Pública
• Subjects: Consumo de Alimentos; Alimentação Escolar; Frutas; Verduras; Food Consumption; School Feeding; Fruit; Vegetables
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-311X2012000600012
• ISSN: 0102-311X; 1678-4464

Objetivou-se estimar a frequência do consumo adequado de frutas e hortaliças e identificar os fatores associados em escolares do Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil. Trata-se de estudo transversal, realizado com 4.964 escolares de escolas públicas e privadas de oito municípios do estado. Foram analisadas variáveis sociodemográficas, comportamentais, antropométricas e de consumo alimentar. A ingestão de frutas e hortaliças cinco ou mais vezes ao dia foi considerado o consumo adequado. Para testar a associaç��o entre o consumo adequado de frutas e hortaliças e as variáveis independentes, foi utilizada a regressão multivariada de Poisson, considerando o nível de significância de 5% (p <0,05). O consumo adequado esteve presente em 2,7% dos escolares, enquanto 26,6% não consumiram frutas e hortaliças sequer uma vez por dia. Somente o consumo de guloseimas manteve-se diretamente associado ao consumo adequado de frutas e hortaliças. Os dados apontam a necessidade de estratégias específicas para o ambiente escolar, a fim de promover o maior consumo de frutas e hortaliças nessa população.<br>This study aimed to estimate fruit and vegetable intake and identify associated factors among schoolchildren in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 4,964 students from public and private schools in eight districts in the State, analyzing socioeconomic and anthropometric data and dietary intake. Adequate fruit and vegetable intake was defined as five or more servings per day. Poisson regression was performed to test associations between fruit and vegetable intake and independent variables (p < 0.05). Adequate intake was found in 2.7% of children, while 26.6% of the sample did not consume any fruits and vegetables. In the analysis of the association between independent variables and adequate fruit and vegetable intake in the total sample, only geographic region (residents in western Santa Catarina) and consumption of candy were significantly associated. In the stratified analysis by sex, for boys, only geographic region was associated, while among girls, region and candy consumption were significantly associated with adequate fruit and vegetable intake. The findings indicate the need for specific strategies in the school community to improve fruit and vegetable intake by schoolchildren.