Food consumption of children and adolescents living in an area of invasion in Maceio, Alagoas, Brazil

• Published in: Revista brasileira de epidemiologia Vol. 13; no. 1; pp. 83 - 93
• Main Authors: da Silva, Juliana Vasconcelos Lyra, Timóteo, Anny Karinny Calheiros Dutra, dos Santos, Célia Dias, Fontes, Gilberto, da Rocha, Eliana Maria Maurício
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Brazil 01.03.2010
• Subjects: Adolescent; Brazil; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Eating; Energy Intake; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Micronutrients; Brazil
• ISSN: 1980-5497

To assess the food intake of energy, macronutrients and micronutrients related to growth and development in individuals under 16 years of age living in a consolidated invasion settlement in Maceió, Alagoas. The assessment of food intake was carried out by the 24-hour recall method, using a food picture album. Nutritional composition of diets was analysed using the Virtual Nutri-1.0 software. The estimated prevalence of inadequate intake was based on the Dietary Reference (DRIs), adjusted to account for intra-individual variability. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 11.5 was used for data analysis. 5.6% of the subjects studied presented excessive energy intake and for 3.7% it was inadequate. The frequency of excessive energy intake was higher in the 1 to 3 year-old age group (p <0.05), which also showed higher rates of inadequate intake of vitamin A, vitamin E and zinc, and it was the only group in which average consumption of calcium was higher than the adequate intake. Data show that dietary patterns of the individuals studied need adjustments.