Influência do consumo de açúcares sobre indicadores antropométricos de crianças e adolescentes: um estudo de coortem estudo de coorte

Abstract

Introduction: Excessive intake of foods rich in sugar has been related to the development of metabolic and anthropometric changes in children and adolescents. Although the studies have analyzed the consumption of ultra-processed foods and their effects on the health of children and adolescents, in addition to evaluating the proportion of added sugars present in these foods and their high intake in individuals in this age group, it is worth highlighting the lack of studies that assess the effect over time of the consumption of total sugars, monosaccharides and disaccharides present not only in ultra-processed foods but also in other food groups and their relationship with anthropometric indicators in this age group. Objective: The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of sugar consumption, from foods with different degrees of processing, on anthropometric indicators of children and adolescents over a period of 18 months. Materials and methods: This is a cohort study carried out with 492 children and adolescents from 7 to 15 years of age, of both genders. Information on food consumption (24-hour recall) and anthropometry (Weight, height and waist circumference) were collected in three stages of follow-up (baseline, 12 and 18 months). The nutritional composition of foods was analyzed by the Nutrition Data System for Research program, and the NOVA classification was adopted for food categorization. To estimate the usual consumption, the Multiple Source Method was used. The influence of dietary intake of sugars on the variation of anthropometric measurements over time was evaluated by Generalized Estimating Equation models. Results: For ultra-processed foods, over the 18 months of follow-up, for each 1g/day increase in the consumption of total sugars and monosaccharides, there was an increase of 0.002 Kg/m2 (p=0.030) and 0.001 Kg/m2 (p=0.019) in BMI/Age, respectively. Each 1g/day increase in the consumption of total sugars, monosaccharides and disaccharides promoted an increase of 0.073 (p<0.001), 0.032 (p<0.001) e 0.100 (p<0.001) in the z-score of BMI/Age, and an increase of 0.001 cm (p=0.001), 0.001 cm (p=0.003) and 0.003 cm (p<0.001) at the average waist circumference, respectively. However, for fresh and minimally processed foods, the consumption of total sugars and monosaccharides promoted an increase in some indicators and the consumption of disaccharides promoted a reduction in others. Conclusion: The findings of this investigation strengthen the evidence that the consumption of total sugars, monosaccharides and disaccharides from ultra-processed foods is associated with weight gain and abdominal fat in children and adolescents and may represent an important risk factor for the overweight in this age group. Key words: consumption of sugars, NOVA, cohort, children, adolescents