Food portion sizes and eating frequency of adults and elderly of São Paulo: relationship with overweight and lipid profile

Author(s)

Jaqueline Lopes Pereira França

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP/CIR)
• Defense date: 2014-09-30

Examining board members

Regina Mara Fisberg; Sandra Patricia Crispim; Dirce Maria Lobo Marchioni

• Advisor: Regina Mara Fisberg

Abstract

Introduction: The contribution of food portion sizes and eating frequency to the rising prevalence of overweight and to lipid profile changes in populations consuming ad libitum diet is not well established, as contradictory results are presented in literature. Objective: Verify the association between food portion sizes, eating frequency, being overweight and lipid profile in a representative population sample of adults and elderly in São Paulo. Methods: The study considered data from cross-sectional population-based ISA-Capital 2008 with random sample of residents of São Paulo aged above 20 years and both sexes. Socioeconomic, anthropometric, lifestyle and diet information was collected between 2008 and 2010 in personal or phone interviews. In the first article of this dissertation, 1042 individuals were classified according to Body Mass Index (BMI) into two categories: with and without excess body weight. Food consumption data were obtained by two 24-hour food recall (R24h). The reported foods were classified into groups and evaluated. The median portion, reported percentage and energy contribution for men and women with and without EBW were calculated. Logistic Regression models were used to evaluate the association of food portion sizes with being overweight. In the second article, data from 521 adults and elderly who had information about lipid profile, the second R24h and did not use hipocolesterolemics were used. Individuals were classified according to eating frequency: less than three; three; more than three meals a day. Medians and interquartile ranges were used to describe non-parametric continuous variables and trend tests and Kruskal-Wallis were used to compare data across eating frequency categories. Pearson chi-squared tests were used to compare frequencies of categorical variables. General Linear Models were used to evaluate the association between eating frequency and being overweight and also to adjust the lipid variables according to confounding variables, as BMI and age. The means of 11 predicts generated from each model of the lipid variables were compared across eating frequency categories using variance analysis and trend tests. Results: Positive associations were observed between overweight and the food groups: rice (p=0.003), cakes (p=0.050), breads (p=0.028), pizza (p=0.008), and salted snacks (p=0.012) after adjusting for control variables. Individuals consuming more than three meals a day presented lower values of BMI (p=0.013) and waist circumference (p=0.004) comparing to those consuming less than three meals a day. Energy intake increased (p=0.001) while energy density of the diet decreased (pmen=0.01; pwomen=0.032) when increasing the categories of eating frequency. Women consuming less than three meals a day presented higher values of triglycerides (p=0.038) and lower values of high density lipoprotein (p=0.049) than the others. Conclusions: The portion size of some food groups was positively associated with being overweight, while none of the food groups with low energy density was negatively associated. Eating frequency was positively associated with BMI and waist circumference in this population when energy intake was constant. Lipid profile was better only for women, when eating frequency was higher. Controlling the portion size of certain foods and eating frequency can help to prevent and control excess body weight. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/08431-8 - Portions of food and number of meals for adults and the elderly in São Paulo: relationship with nutritional status and lipid profile.
• Grantee: Jaqueline Lopes Pereira França
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master