Association between weight control behaviors and diet quality among Brazilian adolescents and young adults: Health Survey of São Paulo with Focus on Nutrition, 2015.

PURPOSE

Little is known about how behaviors to control weight are associated with diet quality among youth from low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to examine associations between efforts to control weight (ECW) and diet quality among Brazilian adolescents and young adults.

METHODS

Data from 731 participants (17.89 ± 4.92 years, 51.1% female) of the 2015 Health Survey of São Paulo were used for this cross-sectional study. Dietary intake was assessed using a 24 h dietary recall and diet quality was calculated using the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index-Revised (BHEI-R). Participants reported their ECW, weight satisfaction, and socio-demographics. Descriptive statistics and linear regressions were calculated to investigate associations between ECW and diet quality.

RESULTS

Approximately 47.7% of participants were dissatisfied with their current weight, and 41.0% reported ECW. Reported strategies to control weight included increased physical activity, taking care of what they eat, and dieting (8.2, 3.1, and 2.5%, respectively). After adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and body mass index, reporting at least one ECW (ß = 0.08; 95% CI 0.02, 0.13), taking care of what to eat (ß = 0.15; 0.08, 0.22) and being satisfied with their weight (0.08; 0.02, 0.13) were all associated with a higher overall BHEI-R score.

CONCLUSION

Overall diet quality score showed a small increase in participants reporting ECW. Further studies should be conducted to provide strategies used by adolescents from low- and middle-income countries to control their weight. Thus, developing public health policies, and behavioral-change strategies.

LEVEL V

Cross-sectional descriptive study.