Regional differences in the consumption of fruit, vegetables and vegetables in adolescents

Aim: To compare the frequency of consumption of fruits and vegetables in adolescents of Pernambuco from different regions. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study with 6264 high school students from Pernambuco. A questionnaire adapted from the Global School-based Student Health Survey was used. The dependent variables were consumption of fruits and vegetables in the last 30 days. The regions were categorized in: Metropolitana, Zona da Mata and Semiarido. A multiple ordinal logistic regression was performed, with proportional odds model. Results: Of the adolescents, 59.7% were boys and the majority resided in the Semiarido region (45.9%). The proportion of adolescents consuming >= 3 times daily fruits and / or natural juices was higher when compared to those who reported consuming 1 to 2 times a day or less than once per day. However, the consumption of less than once a day of vegetables was higher compared to adolescents who consumed three or more times per day regardless of the region. Adolescents living in the Semiarido region were less likely to have a lower frequency of fruit and / or natural juice consumption (OR: 0.87, 0.77-0, 97), and lower frequency of vegetable consumption (OR: 0.81, 0.73-0.90) compared to those residing in the Metropolitana region. Conclusion: It was verified the geographic region was associated to the frequency of consumption of fruits / natural juices and vegetables, with more positive indicators among the adolescents of the Semiarida region compared to those living in the Metropolitana region.