Association between Eating Patterns and Excess Body Weight in Adolescents

Area of Science:

• Public Health and Nutrition
• Adolescent Health
• Dietary Pattern Analysis

Background:

• Excess body weight is a significant risk factor for various diseases.
• Adolescence is a critical period for developing lifelong eating habits, making it a nutritionally vulnerable stage.
• Understanding dietary patterns is crucial for addressing adolescent obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the primary dietary patterns among adolescents aged 10-19 years.
• To investigate the association between these identified dietary patterns and the prevalence of excess body weight.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 826 adolescents in Northeast Brazil.
• Anthropometric measurements (weight, height) used to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI).
• Food consumption data collected via 24-hour recall; dietary patterns identified using principal component factor analysis.
• Statistical analysis included binomial regression to assess the association between dietary patterns and excess body weight.

Main Results:

• Three main dietary patterns were identified: 'coffee with bread,' 'common Brazilian,' and 'mixed pattern.'
• Higher adherence to the 'coffee with bread' pattern showed a reduced odds ratio (OR=0.68) for excess body weight.
• Greater adherence to the 'common Brazilian' pattern also indicated a lower chance of excess body weight (OR=0.72).

Conclusions:

• Specific dietary patterns, namely 'coffee with bread' and 'common Brazilian,' are associated with a lower prevalence of excess body weight in adolescents.
• These findings underscore the importance of promoting traditional and specific dietary habits for weight management in adolescents.
• Further research can explore the nutritional components within these patterns that contribute to reduced obesity risk.