Abstract

COSTA, Liliane; HENRIQUES, Eva; RODRIGUES, Mariana  and  ESMERALDO, Teresa. Composição corporal e hábitos alimentares da população adulta da região autónoma da madeiraBody composition and food habits of the adult population of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2019, n.19, pp.24-28. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2019.1905.

Introduction: Inadequate eating habits are responsible for the increase in chronic diseases worldwide. The diagnosis of nutritional status and the collection of food consumption information from the population are fundamental in the definition of a strategy to promote a healthier diet. Objectives: To characterize the nutritional status of the adult population (18-65 years) of the Autonomous Region of Madeira; and to evaluate the adequacy of food group consumption in comparison to the Portuguese Food Wheel guide recommendation. Methodology: Cross-sectional study with 933 adults, carried out between 2012-2015. Food intake information collected by the 24-hour dietary recall method and collected data on Weight, Height, Waist Circumference, Fat Mass and Fat Free Mass. The descriptive statistical analysis included frequencies, median, percentiles 25 and 75, mean and standard deviation. The chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables. Student's t-tests and ANOVA were performed to compare differences between means, and the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests when normality assumptions were not verified. A significance level of 5% was used. Results: The mean Body Mass Index for the total adult population of the Autonomous Region of Madeira was 26.6 Kg/m2 (±5.4), with no significant difference between sexes (p>0.05). The mean value of Waist Circumference was 89.2 cm (±13.8) for women and 93.6 cm (±13.0) for men (p<0.05). The age group above 49 years presented the highest values of weight, Body Mass Index, Fat Mass and Waist Circumference, while the younger ones (<30 years) had the lowest mean values (p<0.05). In comparison with the Portuguese Food Wheel guide recommendation, the adult population of the Autonomous Region of Madeira consumed proportionally more 7% of "Meat, fish and eggs" but less "Vegetables" (-12%), “Cereals" (-7%) and “Fruit" (-5%). Conclusions: The adult population of Autonomous Region of Madeira showed an inadequate consumption for almost all food groups, and more than half were overweight.

Keywords : Dietary habits; Anthropometric parameters; Adult population.

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