Associations between low consumption of fruits and vegetables and nutritional deficiencies in Brazilian schoolchildren

• Published in: Public health nutrition 2015-04, Vol.18 (5), p.927-935
• Main Authors: Augusto, Rosangela Aparecida, Cobayashi, Fernanda, Cardoso, Marly Augusto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anemia; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - blood; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - epidemiology; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - ethnology; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - etiology; Brazil - epidemiology; Carotenoids; Child; Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena - ethnology; Child, Preschool; Children & youth; Chronic illnesses; Consumption; Cross-Sectional Studies; Deficiency Diseases - blood; Deficiency Diseases - epidemiology; Deficiency Diseases - ethnology; Deficiency Diseases - etiology; Diet - adverse effects; Diet - ethnology; Families & family life; Female; Food; Fruit; Fruits; Health care; Humans; Male; Nutrition Policy; Nutritional epidemiology; Nutritional status; Patient Compliance - ethnology; Population studies; Prevalence; Public health; Questionnaires; Research Papers; Risk Factors; Sewage disposal; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vegetables; Vitamin B; Vitamin D; Vitamin D Deficiency - blood; Vitamin D Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin D Deficiency - ethnology; Vitamin D Deficiency - etiology; Vitamin E; Vitamin E Deficiency - blood; Vitamin E Deficiency - epidemiology; Vitamin E Deficiency - ethnology; Vitamin E Deficiency - etiology; Vitamins
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980014001244

We examined associations between the frequency of fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and nutritional deficiencies among Brazilian schoolchildren. A cross-sectional, population-based study was performed. A short FFQ was used to assess consumption of fruits and vegetables (F&V) over the past month. The prevalence ratios (PR) and 95 % confidence intervals for stunting, obesity, anaemia, vitamin A and folate deficiencies, vitamin E and vitamin D insufficiencies were estimated for low F&V consumption frequency (vegetables ≤ 3 times/month and fruits ≤ 3 times/week) and compared with children with usual F&V consumption frequency (vegetables ≥ 1 time/week and fruits ≥ 4 times/week). Acrelândia, Western Brazilian Amazon. A total of 702 children aged 4-10 years. Only 5 % of children consumed F&V ≥ 5 times/d. Prevalence of deficiency was 31 %, 15 %, 9 % and 2 % for vitamins D, A, E and folate, respectively. Overall, 6.3% of children were anaemic, 3.3% were stunted, 2.7% were obese and 33 % had multiple nutritional deficiencies. Low frequency of F&V consumption was associated with lower plasma concentrations of carotenoids and vitamin E. Nutritional deficiencies were higher among non-consumers of F&V when compared with usual consumers: anaemia (PR=1.9; 95 % CI 1.0, 3.7), vitamin E insufficiency (PR=2.5; 95% CI 1.5, 4.2), vitamin D insufficiency (PR=1.5; 95% CI 1.1, 1.9) and stunting (PR=2.6; 95% CI 1.1, 6.1). In our study, the occurrence of nutritional deficiencies in children with low F&V consumption was twice as high as in children with usual F&V consumption, reinforcing the importance of effective actions to promote the consumption of F&V.