Objective:To identify dietary patterns of children and to verify their association with socio-economical, behavioral and maternal determinants.Methods:A cross-sectional study with a random sample of 328 children aged 8 and 9 years. Dietary intake was assessed by food records in three nonconsecutive days and measured in grams of food groups and nutrients. Factor analysis and subsequent orthogonal rotation (varimax) were used to determine dietary patterns. Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess associations between dietary patterns and the studied determinants.Results:Five dietary patterns were observed: “Traditional,” “Sweetened beverages and snacks,” “Monotonous,” “Healthy” and “Egg-dairy.” A higher maternal level of education was directly associated with “Sweetened beverages and snacks” and “Egg-dairy' standards. Low income children who were submitted to greater food restriction by parents/guardians followed the more “Traditional” standard, represented by the consumption of rice, beans, vegetables, cooked roots and tubers and red meat. The “Monotonous” pattern, represented by a high consumption of milk and chocolate powder, was most followed by children from the middle class. Children living in rural areas consumed more foods from the “Egg-dairy” pattern, when compared to those from the urban area.Conclusions:Dietary patterns of children were associated with family socioeconomic status, maternal level of education, practice of food restriction by parents/guardians and location of residence in urban or rural area. Better socioeconomic conditions contributed to a more nutritionally inadequate dietary pattern.

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OBJECTIVE: To calculate a score of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in children and set a cutoff point of this score for the prediction of MetS risk. METHODS: The study included a random sample of 348 children aged 8 and 9 years of Viçosa, Southeast Brazil. Factor analysis by principal components (PCA) was used to determine, among various risk factors, those with higher degrees of intercorrelation. The chosen variables were: waist circumference (PC), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA), high density lipoprotein (HDL), triglycerides (TAG) and mean arterial pressure (MAP). Z-scores were created for each one of these parameters and the sum of these z-scores constituted the MetS score. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify the cutoff of MetS score, using as gold standard the presence or absence of MetS determined according to criteria age-modified. RESULTS: The prevalence of MetS in the sample was 8.9% by adopting specific criteria for age, and 24% when considering the cutoff of MetS score. The selected cutoff point of 1.86 was accurate to predict the MetS risk in this sample due to its high sensitivity (96.7%), specificity (82.7%) and AUC of 0.96. CONCLUSIONS: This original Brazilian study presents the MetS score as a suitable alternative for the study of Metabolic Syndrome in children, given the lack of consensus for the definition of this syndrome in childhood.

Objective: Developing health promotion activities, aimed at healthy food intake, is essential for improving quality of life and reducing the prevalence of chronic diseases. Thus, the objective of this study is to describe both dietary and nutrient intake, according to length of participation in a health-promotion service (Programa Academia da Saúde - PAS). Design: A cross-sectional study was carried out with a representative sample of PAS units in vulnerable areas of the city. Dietary and nutrient intake were assessed, using the average of two 24-hour recalls. Food was categorized according to the NOVA (a systematic grouping of all foods according to the nature, extent, and purpose of the industrial processes they undergo) classification. The length of participation in PAS is presented in months, and is then examined in tertiles for analysis. Setting: Belo Horizonte – Brazil. Participants: 3,372 adults (≥ 20 years). Results: Users in the third tertile of PAS (24.4-61.6 months) experienced less energy intake, lipids, and ultra-processed foods, and more culinary preparations, compared to others. Users in the second (10.1-24.3 months) and third tertiles of PAS had higher carbohydrate intake, calcium, and vitamin C, versus those in the first tertile (0-10 months). Conclusions: Results suggest that greater participation in PAS can improve dietary and nutrient intake, showing its potential to promote healthy lifestyles, prevent chronic diseases, and offer longitudinal health care.