Características maternas e consumo de alimentos ultraprocessados por mulheres lactantes

Abstract

The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPA) is considered a harmful eating habit at all stages of the life cycle, especially for lactating women. Thus, the objective is to analyze maternal sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics and UPF consumption by lactating women. The study included postpartum women assisted during consultations in primary care in the city of Natal-RN. To obtain data, a questionnaire was applied for identification and sociodemographic characterization, also measuring weight and height, in addition to applying the 24-hour recall survey method (R24h) for food consumption. As a result, a prevalence of the target audience with family income less than or equal to the minimum wage (56.9%) and who were overweight during the interview (32.8%) was identified. Regarding the assessment of energy intake based on the NOVA classification, there is an energy intake of, on average, 2,778 calories/day, so that 28% are from UPF, the second largest category consumed. However, by carrying out the Chi-square test, it is demonstrated that there was no statistically significant association (p>0.05) between maternal characteristics and UPF consumption, although the frequencies of UPF consumption were higher for the participants with low income and overweight. Therefore, it is possible to perceive a trend towards the high consumption of UPF by women during pre-pregnancy until lactation, characterized by a food and nutritional transition experienced by the Brazilian population, triggering considerable nutritional risks. Finally, the importance of the present study is highlighted for investigating the presence of UPF in the diet of lactating women.