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

• Grant number: 25/12261-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition - Nutritional Analysis of Population
• Principal Investigator: Leandro Teixeira Cacau
• Grantee: Vinicius de Souza Mazzali
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The screener Nova, a dietary assessment tool developed by the Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health at the University of São Paulo (Nupens/USP), is a viable, low-cost, and rapid method to estimate diet quality based on consumption scores of in natura or minimally processed plant-based foods (Nova-WPF) and ultra-processed foods (Nova-UPF). However, its applicability remains limited to adults, requiring adaptation and validation for other age groups, particularly children under five years. This project aims to validate the Nova screener for this age group using dietary consumption data obtained through the concurrent application of the tool and a 24-hour dietary recall (24hR) in a subsample of the NutriNet-Brasil Study, a prospective open online cohort launched in January 2020. The study follows individuals aged 18 or older from all regions of Brazil to investigate the relationship between dietary patterns and non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). By validating an easy-to-use, low-cost, and rapid tool to assess children's food consumption according to industrial processing levels, this project addresses a scientific gap.