Dietary intake, anthropometric and body composition assessment of adolescents enrolled in a basic health unit in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to describe and compare the nutritional profile of three groups of adolescents of the same age and gender, diagnosed as overweight, obese and eutrophic as determined by theBody Mass Index (BMI). Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, observational, comparative,and descriptive study in which adolescents were evaluated using anthropometric measurements suchas skinfolds, waist circumference, BMI and body composition assessed by bioelectric impedance. Asemi-quantitative questionnaire about eating frequency was applied to evaluate food intake. The samplewas determined by convenience. A total of 517 adolescents were attended at the CMSCVL betweenOctober 2005 and December 2006. Of these, 141 (27.3%) agreed to participate and satisfied the inclusion criteria. Results: There was no significant difference between groups regarding energy consumption or percent macronutrient contribution although the diet of all groups contained fat percentages aboverecommended levels. Median lipid consumption was 36.6%, 38.3% and 38.2% among eutrophic, overweight and obese adolescents, respectively. Also, there was no significant difference between groupsregarding micronutrient consumption. Quantitative analysis of the diet revealed in general a frequentconsumption of rice and beans, as well as bread, salty snacks, soft drinks, artificial juices, coffee withsugar, and sausages. The fruits most frequently consumed were orange, apple and banana and thelegumes most frequently consumed were lettuce and tomato. These data are important for the policy ofnutritional education adopted at the health center. Conclusion:  The food intake does not seem to havebeen the main factor triggering weight gain. The adolescents studied, regardless of their nutritionalstatus, have similar eating habits which are not compatible with the food pyramid.