Changes in dietary carbohydrate and lipid quality indices between 2008 and 2018: Analysis of the Brazilian dietary surveys

• Published in: Nutrition bulletin 2023-12, Vol.48 (4), p.546-558
• Main Authors: Cardoso, Luciana Guerra, Monteiro, Luana Silva, Sichieri, Rosely, Yokoo, Edna Massae, Pereira, Rosângela Alves
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbohydrates; Demography; Diet; Dietary intake; Fatty acids; Food consumption; Food intake; Food quality; Lipids; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Surveys
• ISSN: 1471-9827; 1467-3010
• DOI: 10.1111/nbu.12641

The aim of the study was to evaluate characteristics and changes over a decade in dietary carbohydrate and lipid quality according to socio‐demographic variables. Data was obtained from two Brazilian National Dietary Surveys 2008–2009 ( n  = 34 003) and 2017–2018 ( n  = 46 164) examining a nationwide representative sample of individuals ≥10 years old. Food intake was assessed by means of two non‐consecutive diet records (2008–2009) and 24 h diet recalls (2017–2018). Carbohydrate Quality Index is a score ranging from 4 to 20 calculated from fibre intake, global dietary glycaemic index, solid/total carbohydrate (CHO) and whole grains/total grains CHO. Lipid Quality Index was estimated by dividing the sum of the dietary content of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids by the sum of saturated and trans fatty acids. Indices were categorised into five categories (1 for lowest and 5 for highest quality). Socio‐demographic variables were sex, age, income, urban/rural area and place of food consumption. The estimates (95% CI) were generated separately for each survey and then compared to identify changes in time. Our main findings refer to changes in diet quality according to income. At the lowest income level, the proportions of individuals in the best carbohydrate and lipid quality categories reduced from 26.9% to 20.6% and from 30.0% to 24.9%, respectively. Alternatively, at the highest income level, these proportions increased from 22.9% to 26.6% and from 11.9% to 15.7%, respectively. Furthermore, the quality of lipids improved in women and among individuals reporting some away‐from‐home food consumption, while the quality of carbohydrates was reduced among adolescents and in rural areas.