Search Results (7)

Background/Objectives: Adolescents in Latin America are experiencing rising rates of overweight/obesity and non-communicable diseases, while public health nutrition efforts targeting this group remain limited. This study explores adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet and its relationship with micronutrient adequacy and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption. Methods: Cross-sectional data from national nutrition surveys of 19,601 adolescents across six Latin American countries were analyzed. Data on sociodemographics, anthropometrics, and dietary habits were collected using standardized questionnaires and 24 h dietary recalls or food records. Nutrient intake was estimated via statistical modeling, and nutrient adequacy ratios were based on age- and sex-specific requirements. UPF intake was classified using the NOVA system, and adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet was assessed with the Planetary Health Diet Index. Results: Overall adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet was low (mean score: 28.3%). Rural adolescents had higher adherence than urban adolescents, and those aged 10–13 and 17–19 showed better adherence compared to adolescents aged 14–16. Adolescents from lower socioeconomic backgrounds adhered more than those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. Adherence varied from 20.2% in Argentina to 30.2% in Brazil and Chile. Higher adherence was associated with lower UPF intake. Among urban adolescents, greater adherence was linked to a higher risk of inadequate riboflavin, niacin, and cobalamin intake, a trend not observed in rural adolescents. Conclusions: Adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet is low among Latin American adolescents, particularly in urban areas. Public health efforts should prioritize reducing UPF consumption, improving access to nutrient-dense, culturally appropriate foods, and supporting fortified staple foods. Full article

Background: The EAT-Lancet Commission proposed a global reference diet to promote healthy diets within planetary boundaries. Recently, the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) was proposed to evaluate the adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet, and it has been validated among European adolescents. However, studies evaluating the associations between the PHDI with health outcomes among adolescents are lacking. Thus, our aim was to assess the association between adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet—through the PHDI score—and cardiovascular health among European adolescents. Methods: Data from the Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence (HELENA) study were used. Usual dietary intake was assessed using two 24 h dietary recalls, and adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet was assessed using the PHDI, a 16-component index that ranges from 0 to 150 points. Cardiovascular health was assessed through the seven-component Ideal Cardiovascular Health (ICH) score, the seven components of which are as follows: never smoked, eutrophic body mass index, moderate to vigorous physical activity, healthy dietary pattern, low blood pressure, low fasting plasma glucose, and low total cholesterol. Total ICH scores were categorized into ideal (5–7) and non-ideal (0–4). Logistic regression models were fitted to evaluate the association between the PHDI and ICH, and the model was adjusted for potential confounders, including age, sex, socioeconomic disadvantage/vulnerability score, and total energy intake. Results: A 10-point increase in the PHDI was associated with a lower probability of a non-ideal ICH status (OR 0.84, [95% CI: 0.75, 0.94]) among European adolescents in the adjusted model. Furthermore, a 10-point increase in the PHDI was associated with a lower probability of high blood pressure (OR: 0.87 [0.79, 0.96]) and a lower probability of high blood cholesterol (OR: 0.88 [0.78, 0.99]). Discussion: In the HELENA study, we found that higher adherence to the EAT-Lancet reference diet was positively associated with better cardiovascular health among European adolescents. Furthermore, adolescents with a higher PHDI were less likely to have high blood pressure and cholesterol. Full article

Technological advances, such as the GloboDiet software, have enabled the development of instruments to standardize dietary data collection through the 24-h dietary recall (24HR). Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using the Brazilian version of the GloboDiet software. The 24HR method guided by the GloboDiet software was applied by face-to-face (n = 2093) interviews and a second measurement by telephone (n = 1084) interviews with participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). The adherence rate was calculated using data from control worksheets filled out by interviewers, whereas the Chi-square test was used to assess differences between sociodemographic groups and the participants’ final adherence status. For the interview’s duration, the data were presented as the median and the interquartile range—IQR (Q1–Q3 (25–75%)). Non-parametric tests were used to assess differences among individuals in terms of the total duration and stages of the interview. Adherence rates were 82.8% face-to-face and 68.4% telephone interviews. The total duration of the face-to-face and telephone interviews was 30.7 (IQR, 23.3–40.7) and 35.3 (IQR, 25.3–49.7) minutes (p < 0.001). These results evidence that the GloboDiet software is viable for the routine of an epidemiological study. Full article

Diets are simultaneously connected with population health and environment. The EAT-Lancet Commission proposed a sustainable reference diet to improve population health and respect the planetary boundaries. Recently, the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) has been developed to assess the adherence to this reference diet. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the adherence to the EAT-Lancet diet through the PHDI in a nationwide population-based study carried out in Brazil. We used data from the National Dietary Survey conducted through the Household Budget Survey in 2017–2018, with 46,164 Brazilians aged over 10 years old. Food consumption was evaluated with a 24 h dietary recall. The average PHDI total score in the Brazilian population was 45.9 points (95% CI 45.6:46.1) on a total score that can range from 0 to 150 points. The adherence to EAT-Lancet diet was low among all Brazilian regions. Women, elderly, those overweighed/obese, with higher per capita income and living in the urban area had higher scores in the PHDI. In general, the Brazilian population presented low adherence to a healthy and sustainable dietary pattern and seems far from meeting the EAT-Lancet recommendations. Full article

Obesity in children and adolescents is a public health problem and diet can play a major role in this condition. We aimed to identify sex-specific dietary patterns (DP) and to evaluate the association with overweight/obesity in European adolescents. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis with 2327 adolescents aged between 12.5 to 17.5 years from a multicenter study across Europe. The body mass index was categorized in “normal weight” and “overweight/obesity”. Two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls were collected with a computerized self-reported software. Principal component factor analysis was used to identify DP. Mixed-effect logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between the sex-specific DP and overweight/obesity outcome. As a result, we found three DP in boys (snacking and bread, Mediterranean diet, and breakfast) and four DP in girls (convenience, plant-based and eggs, Western, and breakfast). The association between DP and overweight/obesity highlights that those adolescents with higher adherence to the breakfast DP had lower odds for overweight/obesity, even after the inclusion of covariables in the adjustments. In European adolescents, the breakfast DP positively characterized by breakfast cereals, fruit, milk, and dairy and negatively characterized by sugar-sweetened beverages in boys and negatively characterized by cereals (pasta, rice, and others) in girls, was inversely associated with overweight/obesity. Full article

The EAT-Lancet Commission has proposed a model diet to improve the health of human beings and that of the planet. Recently, we proposed the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) to assess adherence of the population to this model diet. In this study, we aimed to evaluate adherence to the PHDI and obesity outcomes using baseline data from 14,515 participants in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). The dietary data were assessed using a 114-item FFQ. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) were both used continuously and categorized. Linear and multinomial regression models adjusted for potential confounding factors were performed to assess the relationship between adherence to PHDI and outcomes. An inverse association was observed between adherence to PHDI and obesity indicators. Individuals with high adherence to the PHDI had lower BMI (β−0.50 95% CI−0.73:−0.27) and WC (β−1.70 95% CI−2.28:−1.12) values. They were also 24% less likely to be overweight (OR 0.76 95% CI 0.67:0.85) or obese (OR 0.76 95% CI 0.65:0.88), and they were 14% and 27% less likely to have increased WC (OR 0.86 95% CI 0.75:0.98) or substantially increased WC (OR 0.73 95% CI 0.64:0.83) than those with lower adherence. Our results showed that higher adherence to the PHDI may decrease obesity indicators. Full article

The EAT-Lancet Commission has proposed a planetary health diet. We propose the development of the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI) based on this proposed reference diet. We used baseline dietary data obtained through a 114-item FFQ from 14,779 participants of the Longitudinal Study on Adult Health, a multicenter cohort study conducted in Brazil. The PHDI has 16 components and a score from 0 to 150 points. Validation and reliability analyses were performed, including principal component analyses, association with selected nutrients, differences in means between groups (for example, smokers vs. non-smokers), correlations between components and total energy intake, Cronbach’s alpha, item-item correlations, and linear regression analysis between PHDI with carbon footprint and overall dietary quality. The mean PHDI was 60.4 (95% CI 60.2:60.5). The PHDI had six dimensions, was associated in an expected direction with the selected nutrients and was significantly (p < 0.001) lower in smokers (59.0) than in non-smokers (60.6). Cronbach’s alpha value was 0.51. All correlations between components were low, as well as between components and PHDI with total energy intake. After adjustment for age and sex, the PHDI score remained associated (p < 0.001) with a higher overall dietary quality and lower carbon footprint. Thus, we confirmed the PHDI validity and reliability. Full article