AI Article Synopsis

  • - The study focused on the meal patterns of the Brazilian population, analyzing data from over 46,000 individuals aged 10 and older, as part of the Brazilian National Dietary Survey.
  • - Researchers used a week-long method of two 24-hour food recalls to identify common meal combinations, finding that most people followed patterns of three main meals with varying numbers of snacks throughout the day.
  • - The analysis revealed eight distinct meal patterns influenced by factors like gender and age, with about 80% of participants consuming three main meals daily and 13% not having any snacks, highlighting the relevance of meal habits for health promotion efforts.

Article Abstract

The habit of eating specific meals has been addressed in several studies, but the evaluation of meal patterns has received less attention. This study aimed to describe the meal patterns of the Brazilian population. A complex sampling design was used to select the 46,164 ≥ 10-year-old individuals examined in the Brazilian National Dietary Survey. Food consumption was assessed by two non-consecutive 24-hour recalls applied throughout a one-week period. The exploratory data analysis approach was used to determine the meal patterns, i.e., how individuals combined the main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and snacks (morning, afternoon, evening/night) throughout the day. The most common meal patterns were three main meals + one snack, reported by 25.1% of the individuals, and three main meals + two snacks (24.6%). Other meal patterns identified were: three main meals + three snacks (18.5%); three main meals and no snacks (10.9%); one or two main meals + two snacks (7.4%); one or two main meals + one snack (6.9%); one or two main meals + three snacks (4.2%); and one or two main meals and no snacks (2.3%). Meal patterns varied according to gender and age group, and on typical versus atypical food consumption days. We found that eight patterns characterized the daily meal consumption in Brazil. Furthermore, around 80% of the population had three main meals every day and about 13% did not report having any snacks. The characterization of meal habits is important for tailoring and targeting health promotion actions.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10877696PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0102-311XEN009923DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

main meals
40
meal patterns
24
meals snacks
20
three main
20
meals
12
main
10
brazilian national
8
national dietary
8
dietary survey
8
meal
8

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!