Association between the consumption of sweeteners and diet quality in the brazilian population

• Grant number: 24/04767-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutritional Analysis of Population
• Principal Investigator: Renata Bertazzi Levy
• Grantee: Thais da Silva Marques
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Sweeteners are food additives defined as "a substance other than sugar that gives a sweet flavor to food" and, therefore, foods and drinks that contain them in their composition are classified as ultra-processed (UPF). The consumption of sweeteners in Brazil has grown significantly in recent decades, reflecting changes in eating habits and the search for options considered healthier. Despite being advertised as healthy alternatives due to their low or zero caloric value, there are no studies that justify the use of this additive by individuals in adequate health conditions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between the consumption of foods and drinks that contain sweeteners and the quality of diet in the Brazilian population. The research will be carried out through a population-based cross-sectional study, using information from the 2017-2018 Family Budget Survey to collect sociodemographic and food consumption data. Individuals will be classified based on the contribution, in grams, of foods containing sweeteners to the total grams in the diet. The quality of the diet will be assessed by the concentration of free sugar, the total calories consumed and the participation of ultra-processed ans Whole Plant foods. Multivariable linear regression models will be used to verify the association between levels of consumption of foods and beverages containing sweeteners and diet quality. All analyzes will be carried out using Stata 16.0 software.