Meat consumption in São Paulo-Brazil: trend in the last decade

Objective

To characterize trends in meat consumption, and verify the percentage of excessive red and processed meat consumption in the last decade in São Paulo, Brazil.

Design

Cross-sectional weighted data from the Health Survey for São Paulo, conducted in São Paulo, Brazil among people aged 12 years and older.

Setting

Diet was assessed by two 24-hour recalls in each survey. Usual meat consumption was estimated by Multiple Source Method. Wald tests were used to compare means across survey years. Data were collected from adolescents, adults, and elderly using a representative, complex, multistage probability-based survey in 2003 and in 2008 in São Paulo, southeast of Brazil.

Subjects

2631 Brazilians were studied in 2003 and 1662 in 2008.

Results

Daily mean of red and processed meat consumption was 100 g/day in 2003, and 113 g/day in 2008. Excessive red and processed meat consumption was observed in almost 75% of the subjects, especially among adolescents in both surveys. Beef represented the largest proportion of meat consumed, followed by poultry, pork and fish in both surveys.

Conclusions

Daily red and processed meat consumption was higher in 2008 than in 2003, and almost the entire population consumed more than what is recommended by World Cancer Research Fund. Public health strategies are needed, in order to reduce red and processed meat consumption to the recommended amounts, for a healthy diet.

[Use of dietary supplements among inhabitants of the city of São Paulo, Brazil]

This cross-sectional population-based study in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, aimed to assess prevalence of use of dietary supplements according to life stage and socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics. Prevalence of supplement use was low (6.35%) among the 865 individuals interviewed, with a higher prevalence among women (PR = 1.88; 95%CI: 1.08-1.25). However, no statistically significant difference was found for the other variables. Combined vitamin and mineral supplements headed the list. Intake of supplements is still low in this population. However, the current weak evidence of benefits from regular use and the risks of excessive consumption justify monitoring the use of supplements.

A revised version of the Healthy Eating Index for the Brazilian population

The revised version of the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index is an indicator of dietary quality developed according to current nutritional recommendations. Dietary data were obtained from a population-based survey, the 2003 Inquérito de Saúde e Alimentação (ISA - Health and Diet Survey)-Capital. The Revised Index consists of 12 components: nine food groups included in the 2006 Brazilian Dietary Guidelines, in which daily portions are expressed in terms of energy density; two nutrients (sodium and saturated fats), and SoFAAS (calories from solid fat, alcohol and added sugar). The Revised Brazilian Healthy Eating Index allows for the measurement of dietary risk factors for chronic diseases, evaluating and monitoring the diet at both individual and population levels.

Complementary feeding: study on prevalence of food intake in two health centers of São Paulo city

The infant feeding practices in the first year of life are of fundamental importance for their growth and development. This study was carried out aiming at checking on the prevalence of food intake by the infants during their first year of life. One-hundred-and-seventy-five children aged up to one year, attended to in two Health Centers of São Paulo city, Brazil, participated in this study. Their feeding practices, obtained through the status quo approach, were analyzed through multiple logistic regression models, using curves of prevalence for complementary food consumption. Fruit was the first solid food to be part of the infant diet, followed by vegetables, cereal, meat and/or eggs and, beans. Animal-protein-containing source foods (meat and eggs) entered the diet much later, being consumed by practically all children only at the end of their first year of life. The early introduction of complementary foods into the infant diet was made evident. The introduction of solid foods to complement breastfeeding is started with low-calorie density foods, in disagreement with the recommendations for Brazilian children. Results of this paper disclose a need for having programmatic actions in health education being carried out, in special those regarding exclusive breastfeeding promotion and orientation on the adequate introduction of complementary feeding.