Differences in Cost-Effectiveness of Adherence to Nutritional Recommendations: Why, Where, and What?

Cost-effectiveness analysis of diets may comprise an important tool to promote food security; however, studies show divergent evidence regarding the relationship between diet quality and cost in diverse populations. Thus, this study assesses differences in cost-effectiveness ratios regarding adherence to nutritional recommendations using data representative of the population level in Sao Paulo municipality, Brazil. Information from adolescents and adult individuals ( = 1742) was used to estimate diet quality and cost in 2015.

Associations among diet costs, food prices and income: Elasticities of risk and protection food groups for cardiometabolic diseases in Sao Paulo, Brazil (2003-2015).

Economic dimension comprises important determinants of food choices, particularly income and prices. Identification of the influence of food prices and diet costs on the consumption of food groups considered protection and risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases. Food groups classification follows the proposal of "What we eat in America?" from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), adapted to Latin America.

How to Estimate Food Prices and Diet Costs in Population-Based Studies?

Health and nutrition surveys usually comprise detailed information on health characteristics and food consumption of certain population groups; however, the lack of data collection on the food prices may pose challenges for the estimation of the diet costs for the comprehensive analysis of food demand. The Household Budget Survey (HBS) represents an opportunity to obtain the data on the food prices for the nutrition surveys in the diverse countries worldwide. Although the HBS and the health and nutrition surveys may correspond to different periods, the application of the appropriate Consumer Price Index (CPI) allows to address the changes in the relative prices to perform the linkage between the data of food consumption with information on the food prices.

Validity of self-reported body mass and height: relation with sex, age, physical activity, and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Objective: To evaluate the validity of self-reported body mass and height measurements in adolescents, adults and older adults according to sex, age, leisure-time physical activity level, nutritional status, and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Methods: The study included 856 subjects, aged 12 years or older, who participated in the São Paulo Health Survey (ISA-2015) and who had their body mass and height measured and self-reported. Based on the Body Mass Index (BMI), a classification of nutritional status was made according to standardized criteria for each phase of life.

Energy, nutrients and food sources in snacks for adolescents and young adults.

Objective: To evaluate associations between snacking and energy, nutrients and food source, and to identify the contribution of snacking across age, sex, weight status and lifestyle behaviors among adolescents and young adults.

Methods: A sub-sample was calculated from the population-based cross-sectional study 2015-Health Survey of São Paulo (ISA-Capital). The survey "ISA-Nutrição" used a sample of non-institutionalized individuals aged >15 years.

Food Sources of Shortfall Nutrients among Latin Americans: Results from the Latin American Study of Health and Nutrition (ELANS).

Increased consumption of energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods can lead to inadequate intakes of shortfall nutrients, including vitamin A, D, C, and E, dietary folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. The objective was to examine the prevalence of inadequate intake of shortfall nutrients and identify food sources of shortfall nutrients in eight Latin American countries. Data from ELANS, a multi-country, population-based study of 9218 adolescents and adults were used.

Contribution of food groups to energy, grams and nutrients-to-limit: the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health/Estudio Latino Americano de Nutrición y Salud (ELANS).

Objective: To quantify the energy, nutrients-to-limit and total gram amount consumed and identify their top food sources consumed by Latin Americans.

Design: Data from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS).

Setting: ELANS is a cross-sectional study representative of eight Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela.

Sedentary behavior, physical activity and body composition in adults.

Objective: We investigated the associations between objectively assessed sedentary behavior (SB) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and body composition variables among a representative sample of Brazilian adults.

Methods: Using an accelerometer, SB and MVPA were monitored for at least 5 days in 524 participants (261 men; age, 18-65 years). Each minute epoch was classified as sedentary or spent in light, moderate, or vigorous physical activity (LPA, MPA, and VPA, respectively).

Social determinants, lifestyle and diet quality: a population-based study from the 2015 Health Survey of São Paulo, Brazil.

Objective: To investigate the association among social determinants, lifestyle variables and diet quality in São Paulo, Brazil.

Design: Cross-sectional study, 2015 Health Survey of São Paulo (Inquérito de Saúde de São Paulo (2015 ISA-Capital)) with Focus on Nutrition Study (2015 ISA-Nutrition).

Setting: Population-based study, with a representative sample of adults living in São Paulo, Brazil.

Determinants of inequalities in the quality of Brazilian diet: trends in 12-year population-based study (2003-2015).

Background: Recent studies have explored the influence of socioeconomic inequalities on the diet quality. However, there is lack of evidence regarding the level of inequalities in dietary quality and its main contributing factors from population-based follow-up studies. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the level and the determinants of inequalities in diet quality in a representative sample of adolescents, adults and older adults resident in São Paulo, Brazil.