[Do Food Environments Predict Adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population? An analysis of the...

The objective of this study was to ascertain the relationship between food environments and adherence to the Brazilian Food Guide among residents of a capital city in the northeastern region of Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study that employs data on the food environment (food deserts and swamps) in Natal/RN and individual data on adults and older people from the BRAZUCA Natal study. The data set includes information on gender, age, the monthly income of the person responsible, and an adherence score to the Food Guide, which refers to eating practices in line with and opposed to national recommendations for adequate and healthy eating. The association between the variables was analyzed using multiple linear regression by backward stepwise. The findings indicate that residing in a food desert is associated with a 2.41-point reduction in the adherence score to the Food Guide, irrespective of income, age, and gender. Additionally, living in a food desert is linked to a 1.39-point decrease in the adherence score for practices that are contrary to the Food Guide. Food swamps were not associated with adherence to the Food Guide. Consequently, only food deserts were found to be associated with adherence to the Food Guide among adults and the elderly in Natal-RN. This understanding provides a basis for the development of strategies to promote adequate and healthy eating among this population.