Diet quality, excess body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents living in São Paulo, Brazil and in the USA: differences and similarities

• Published in: Public health nutrition 2021-09, Vol.24 (13), p.4091-4101
• Main Authors: Pereira, Jaqueline L, Mattei, Josiemer, Isasi, Carmen R, Van Horn, Linda, Carnethon, Mercedes R, Daviglus, Martha L, Perera, Marisa J, Sotres-Alvarez, Daniela, Fisberg, Regina M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipose tissue; Adolescent; Adolescents; Age; Alcohol; Beverages; Blood pressure; Body weight; Brazil - epidemiology; Cardiometabolic Risk Factors; Child development; Children & youth; Cholesterol; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Dietary intake; Dyslipidemia; Eating; Eating behavior; Energy; Fasting; Food; Food intake; Fruits; Grain; Health care; Health risks; Health services; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Hypertension; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Legumes; Nutrients; Nutrition; Nutrition research; Nutritional epidemiology; Nuts; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Overweight; Polls & surveys; Population; Research paper; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Socioeconomic factors; Teenagers; United States - epidemiology; Vegetables
• ISSN: 1368-9800; 1475-2727
• DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020002736

To compare diet quality and its association with excess body weight (EBW: overweight/obesity), central adiposity (CA) and CVD risk factors (CVDR) among adolescents from Brazil and USA. Data from two cross-sectional surveys: Health Survey of São Paulo (ISA-Nutrition) and Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL-Youth). Dietary intake was assessed from 24-h recalls, and diet quality using the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI) developed in the USA and the Revised Brazilian Healthy Eating Index (BHEI-R). CVDR was defined as ≥3 of: obesity, elevated blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, high plasma glucose and insulin resistance. Adjusted OR for EBW, CA and CVDR by diet quality were tested using logistic regression. São Paulo, Brazil; and Chicago, IL; Miami, FL; Bronx, NY; San Diego, CA. Adolescents (12-16 years) living in São Paulo (n 189) and USA (n 787). ISA-Nutrition individuals with EBW (v. without) had marginally lower (unhealthier) scores for whole grains using BHEI-R and sugary beverages using AHEI. SOL-Youth individuals with EBW had lower scores of nuts/legumes using AHEI, and Na using BHEI-R, but higher scores of whole grains and dairy using BHEI-R. In ISA-Nutrition, BHEI-R was inversely associated with EBW (OR = 0·87; 95 % CI 0·80, 0·95) and CVDR (OR = 0·89; 95 % CI 0·80, 0·98). In SOL-Youth, AHEI was inversely associated with EBW (OR = 0·93; 95 % CI 0·87, 0·99). Dietary improvements should be made by adolescents in both USA and Brazil. Healthier diet quality as measured with the country-specific index was associated with lower odds of EBW in Brazilian and USA-Hispanic/Latino adolescents, and with lower CVDR in Brazilian adolescents.