The ELSA-Brasil (Estudo Longitudinal de Saúde do Adulto -Brazilian Longitudinal Study for Adult Health) is a prospective cohort study with extensive assessments throughout time. This article describes the routine of clinical tests and interviews performed with participants and the structuring of the Research Center physical space and teams. The ELSA-Brasil assumes that participants will be present at the Research Center to have the tests and interviews performed, according to standard protocols developed by this study. Considering the multiplicity of activities involved, each with specifi c needs for standardization, several predetermined orders of clinical tests and interviews were created. This ensured a high standard of quality in data collection without harm to participants' comfort. Each participant was previously assigned to a specifi c sequence of clinical tests and interviews with a predefi ned arrival time, mean length of stay of fi ve to six hours and departure time.

This study evaluated the reproducibility and relative validity of the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) used in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Participants (n = 281) completed the FFQ and three food records on two occasions during a 12-month period. Energy and nutrient values from food records were disattenuated and log-transformed. Reproducibility and validity were assessed by the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Agreement between the two methods was evaluated by classification in tertiles. In the evaluation of reproducibility, ICC estimated ranged from 0.55 to 0.83 for protein and vitamin E, respectively. On relative validity, ICC ranged from 0.20 to 0.72 for selenium and calcium, respectively. Exact and adjacent agreement between methods varied from 82.9% for vitamin E to 89% for lipids and calcium (mean 86%). Average disagreement was 13.6%. In conclusion, this FFQ showed satisfactory reliability for all nutrients and reasonable validity, especially for energy, macronutrients, calcium, potassium, and vitamins E and C.

OBJECTIVE:To develop a diet quality index and to analyze socioeconomic factors associated with low child diet quality. METHODS:A cross-sectional study was performed with a representative sample of 1,282 children aged between seven and ten years, living in the city of Vitória, Southeastern Brazil, in 2007. Children were randomly selected from 26 public schools and six private schools. Data on socioeconomic characteristics and life habits of children were obtained from a structured questionnaire, sent to homes and preferably completed by mothers. A food frequency questionnaire was created from studies performed with Brazilian children and tested in a public school. An index entitled Índice de Alimentação do Escolar (ALES -School Child Diet Index) was designed to assess diet quality, taking in consideration the nutritional recommendations for the Brazilian population and the habit of having breakfast. The association between diet quality and socioeconomic factors was analyzed using multinomial logistic regression. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confi dence intervals were estimated for the variables that remained in the model. RESULTS:According to the ALES index, approximately 41% of the children studied had low diet quality (boys= 37.7%, girls= 42.7%, p= 0.179). There were no signifi cant differences between sex, age, maternal employment status and living with the mother and diet quality. The variables that remained associated with low diet quality were low maternal level of education (OR= 3.93; 95% CI: 2.58;5.99), father not present in the household (OR= 2.03; 95% CI: 1.68;2.99) and not having lunch at the table (OR= 1.47; 95% CI: 1.12;1.93). CONCLUSIONS:Low maternal level of education increased the probability of a child not consuming a good quality diet, whether due to lack of access to healthy foods and adequate information or poorer ability to discern what is healthy.

Rapid growth in infancy and early childhood results in an increased BMI and %BF throughout childhood and an increased risk of overweight at age 7 y among AGA children. Rapid growth in AGA children has a more pronounced effect on %BF than on BMI.

The food consumption of 15,071 public employees was analyzed in six Brazilian cities participating in the baseline for Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil, 2008-2010) with the aim of identifying eating patterns and their relationship to socio-demographic variables. Multiple correspondence and cluster analysis were applied. Four patterns were identified, with their respective frequencies: "traditional" (48%); "fruits and vegetables" (25%); "pastry shop" (24%); and "diet/light" (5%) The "traditional" and "pastry shop" patterns were more frequent among men, younger individuals, and those with less schooling. "Fruits and vegetables" and "diet/light" were more frequent in women, older individuals, and those with more schooling. Our findings show the inclusion of new items in the "traditional" pattern and the appearance of the "low sugar/low fat" pattern among the eating habits of Brazilian workers, and signal socio-demographic and regional differences.