Eating away from home and biomarkers for chronic noncommunicable diseases in Brazilian adolescents

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the relationship between food consumption away from home and alterations in biomarkers for chronic noncommunicable diseases in Brazilian adolescents. This cross-sectional study used data from the Study of Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Adolescents (ERICA), conducted in 36,956 adolescents in 2013/2014. The relationship between food consumption away from home and each target outcome (hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycemia, high glycated hemoglobin, and hyperinsulinemia) was tested with logistic regression models adjusted for age, school system (public versus private), physical activity, and screen time. Data on food consumption were obtained with a 24-hour diet recall (24HR), analyzing consumption of energy, added sugar, sodium, potassium, fiber, fruits, vegetables, rice, beans, sandwiches, cakes, dessert, chocolates, and sodas. The results showed that 53.2% of adolescents consumed foods away from home. Eating away from home showed an inverse relationship with hyperinsulinemia (OR = 0.65; 95%CI: 0.46-0.92) and hyperglycemia (OR = 0.46; 95%CI: 0.30-0.71) in boys and hypertension (OR = 0.71; 95%CI: 0.55-0.92) and hyperglycemia (OR = 0.57; 95%CI: 0.34-0.96) in girls. However, the consumption of calories, added sugar, sandwiches, desserts, and sodas was higher in adolescents that consumed foods away from home. The protective role of eating away from home, as measured by biochemical indicators in adolescents, may be a function of higher consumption of school meals, which was more frequent among adolescents that consumed food away from home, thus highlighting the importance of encouraging consumption of school meals.