Frequência de consumo alimentar de adolescentes

Abstract

The frequency of food consumption of adolescents from a public school in the city of Cuiabá - MT, aged between 13 and 15 years, was analyzed. The frequency of food consumption was assessed through a qualitative food frequency questionnaire and the nutritional status through body mass index (BMI = weight / height2), classifying the adolescents according to the growth curves for individuals aged 5 to 19 years established by the World Health Organization in 2007 and the cutoffs proposed by the Ministry of Health (2011). Of the 70 adolescents who participated in this study, 55.7% were female and had a mean age of 13.8 years. Regarding nutritional status, 22.9% of adolescents were overweight and 12.9% were obese and severely obese. In relation to food consumption, there was a higher frequency of daily consumption of legumes (beans), rice and ultraprocessed products, and a lower frequency of daily consumption of milk and dairy products, fruits, vegetables and legumes. As for eating habits, there was a high percentage of omission of breakfast and of adolescents who have the habit of "pinching" between meals. Therefore, the need to carry out food and nutritional education activities in schools with the purpose of improving the feeding of adolescents and avoiding possible diseases in adult life is emphasized.