Preditores socioeconômicos da qualidade da alimentação de crianças

Abstract

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.

Desnutrição em crianças menores de 60 meses em dois municípios no Estado do Acre: prevalência e fatores associados

“…In this sense, living with family members strengthens the social support network for child care 22,23 , enabling emotional support and helping with this child care. Moreover, the presence of the mother's partner in the home increases access to household goods and essential services for adequate child nutritional status 21,24,25,26 . Evidence of a higher number of younger siblings being associated with height--for-age deficit suggests an increase in household spending and reduction in time and resources allocated for child care.…”

Educação Alimentar e Nutricional: influência no comportamento alimentar e no estado nutricional de estudantes

“…A escolaridade dos pais, em especial, a materna e a classe social são fatores socioeconômicos importantes na determinação da saúde do escolar, sendo observado, por exemplo, que mães com escolaridade menor aumentam a probabilidade de crianças não consumirem uma alimentação de qualidade tanto pelo acesso aos alimentos quanto ao conhecimento para as escolhas mais saudáveis 19 . A qualidade inadequada da alimentação de crianças sofre influência de vários fatores, incluindo a menor escolaridade do cuidador e/ ou responsável, o hábito de realizar as refeições em frente à televisão, falta de atividade física e a própria avaliação negativa dos responsáveis sobre a alimentação das crianças.…”

Dietary patterns of obese children: Maternal perceptions and experiences

“…The others reported that while their children are having lunch, they engage in other activities. Eating at the family Not having meals around the dining table increases the chances that the child will eat low-quality foods [26]. Evidence suggests that eating meals with family members is associated with the protection against the development of obesity [27].…”