Dietary patterns of Brazilian adolescents according to geographic region: an analysis of the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA)

The study aimed to identify the dietary patterns of Brazilian adolescents in each of Brazil's five major geographic regions and verify possible differences in adherence to dietary patterns according to age, sex, and type of school. Data were analyzed from 71,298 adolescents 12 to 17 years of age that participated in the Study of Cardiovascular Risk in Adolescents (ERICA), a cross-sectional nationwide, multicenter, school-based survey. Food consumption data were obtained using a 24-hour food recall, and identification of dietary patterns used factor analysis. Associations between the adolescents' sociodemographic characteristics and dietary patterns were verified by linear regression analyses, stratified by age and adjusted for nutritional status, total energy intake, and physical activity. In the five geographic regions, three dietary patterns with similar characteristics were identified: traditional pattern, bread-and-coffee pattern, and unhealthy pattern. The North of Brazil showed a fourth dietary pattern characterized by typical regional foods, called the traditional-North pattern. In all five regions, male adolescents showed the highest adherence to the traditional pattern and the lowest adherence to the unhealthy pattern. Private school students showed higher adherence to the unhealthy pattern and lower adherence to the traditional pattern. The results suggest that in this sample of adolescents, males were associated with traditional Brazilian foods such as rice and beans, while higher socioeconomic status was associated with the consumption of unhealthy foods like sugary beverages and snacks.