Development of the Nova screener to assess food consumption according to the level of food processing for children under five years of age

• Grant number: 25/06406-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutritional Analysis of Population
• Principal Investigator: Leandro Teixeira Cacau
• Grantee: Amaury Hideki Freire Nakamura
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Nova Screener is a tool designed to assess food consumption according to the level of food processing in adults. Based on the Nova Screener, two scores can be generated: the Nova Score for Ultra-Processed Foods (Nova-UPF) and the Nova Score for Whole and Minimally Processed Foods (Nova-WPF). These scores are promising tools for evaluating and monitoring healthy diets in epidemiological studies and food and nutrition surveillance, due to their ease of use and low cost. Despite the relevance of its application, adaptations for other age groups are necessary. Therefore, the aim of this project is to develop the Nova Screener for children under five years of age, using dietary intake data from the Brazilian National Survey on Child Nutrition (ENANI-2019). ENANI-2019 is a nationally representative, household-based study that collected data from 14,558 children under five years of age. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall (24HR). All reported foods will be classified according to the Nova food classification system. The Nova Screener for young children will be developed following the methodology used in the adult version, consisting of an analysis of the frequency of consumption of whole and minimally processed and ultra-processed foods among children. The food list will include the most commonly consumed items in the target population, and the instrument will undergo a pretest evaluation. This project will contribute to the scientific community by addressing a current gap: providing a simple, low-cost, and quick-to-administer tool to assess food consumption according to the level of industrial processing among young children. (AU)