Brazilian adults in urban areas with longer commuting time to work had lower fruit consumption

This study aims to describe the differences in diet and weight status of the adult urban Brazilian population by commuting time to work (CTW). Cross-sectional study with data from 69,713 adult workers (20-59 years) from the 2017-2018 Household Budget Survey. The mean consumption of 19 food groups was estimated under four CTW categories for a subsample of 16,967 adults from urban areas (adults from rural areas were excluded). Linear models estimated the predicted mean consumption and 95% confidence interval (CI) by CTW level, adjusted for potential confounding factors. In contrast, logistic models were used to estimate the association between overweight and CTW. The statistical software SAS OnDemand for Academics was used and the analyses considered the sampling weights and the complex sampling plan. Approximately 25% of adults commuted for up to 5 min, 47% for 6-30 min, 17% for 31 min to 1 h, and 10% for more than 1 h. Individuals with CTW > 1 h had lower fruit and higher bean consumption than those with CTW < 5 min. The adjusted analysis showed that fruit consumption remained lower among those with CTW > 1 h. There were no significant differences in the consumption of other foods, and no association was found between overweight and CTW. Urban adults with longer CTW had lower fruit consumption, highlighting the need for policies to improve urban mobility and access to healthy foods.