Alcohol Contribution to Total Energy Intake and Its Association with Nutritional Status and Diet Quality in Eight Latina American Countries

Juan Carlos Brenes, Georgina Gómez, Dayana Quesada, Irina Kovalskys, Attilio Rigotti, Lilia Yadira Cortés, Martha Cecilia Yépez García, Reyna Liria-Domínguez, Marianella Herrera-Cuenca, Viviana Guajardo, Regina Mara Fisberg, Ana Carolina B. Leme, Gerson Ferrari, Mauro Fisberg and on behalf of the ELANS Study Group
Additional contact information
Juan Carlos Brenes: Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Psychological Research, University of Costa Rica, San José 10501-2060, Costa Rica
Georgina Gómez: Departament of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Costa Rica, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica
Dayana Quesada: Departament of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Costa Rica, San José 11501-2060, Costa Rica
Irina Kovalskys: Career of Nutritión, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina, Buenos Aires C1107AAZ, Argentina
Attilio Rigotti: Departament of Nutrition Diabetes and Metabolism, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8330024, Chile
Lilia Yadira Cortés: Departament of Nutritión and Biochemistry, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
Martha Cecilia Yépez García: School of Health Sciences, San Francisco University of Quito, Quito 17-1200-841, Ecuador
Reyna Liria-Domínguez: Institute of Nutritional Research, Lima 15026, Peru
Marianella Herrera-Cuenca: Center for Development Studies, Bengoa Fundation of Food and Nutrition, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas 1053, Venezuela
Viviana Guajardo: Institue for Scientific Cooperation in Health and Environment, Buenos Aires Santa Fe Av. 1145, Caba C1059ABF, Argentina
Regina Mara Fisberg: Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246-904, Brazil
Ana Carolina B. Leme: Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 01246-904, Brazil
Gerson Ferrari: Sciences of Physical Activity, Sports and Health School, Universith of Santiago of Chile, Santiago 7500618, Chile
Mauro Fisberg: Center for Nutrology and Feeding Difficulties, Pensi Institute, José Luiz Egydio Setubal Foundation, Sarabá Children’s Hospital, Sao Paulo 01228-200, Brazil
on behalf of the ELANS Study Group: Members are listed in Acknowledgments.

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 24, 1-19

Abstract: Alcohol consumption is a modifiable risk factor for non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to characterize alcohol consumers at the nutritional, anthropometric, and sociodemographic levels. Data from 9218 participants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela participating in “Latin American Health and Nutrition Study (ELANS)”, a multi-country, population-based study, were used. Dietary intake was collected through two, 24 h recalls. Participants were classified into consumers ( n = 1073) and non-alcohol consumers ( n = 8145) using a cut-off criterium of ≥15 g/day of alcohol consumption calculated from the estimation of their usual daily intake. Among alcohol consumers, the mean alcohol consumption was 69.22 ± 2.18 grams (4.6. beverages/day), contributing to 484.62 kcal, which corresponded to 16.86% of the total energy intake. We found that the risk of alcohol consumption was higher in young and middle-aged men from low and middle socioeconomic status. Argentine, Brazil, and Chile had the highest percentage of consumers, while Ecuador showed the highest alcohol consumption. Alcohol drinkers were characterized by having higher body weight and wider neck, waist, hips circumferences. Alcohol drinkers had a higher energy intake, with macronutrients providing relatively less energy at the expense of the energy derived from alcohol. Alcohol drinkers showed lower and higher consumptions of healthy and unhealthy food groups, respectively. In addition, adequacy ratios for all micronutrients assessed were lower in alcohol consumers. All these deleterious effects of alcohol on nutritional and anthropometric parameters increased with the number of alcoholic beverages consumed daily. Altogether, these findings suggest that limiting alcohol consumption can contribute to reducing the risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diet-related diseases.

Keywords: alcohol intake; macronutrients; micronutrients; food groups; Latin America; nutrition survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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