Local Food Environment and Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods: Cross-Sectional Data from the Nutritionists’ Health Study—NutriHS

Brena Barreto Barbosa, Lucca Nielsen, Breno Souza de Aguiar, Marcelo Antunes Failla, Larissa Fortunato Araújo, Larissa Loures Mendes, Soraia Pinheiro Machado and Antonio Augusto Ferreira Carioca ()
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Brena Barreto Barbosa: Postgraduate Program in Nutrition and Health, Ceará State University, Fortaleza 60714-903, CE, Brazil
Lucca Nielsen: Coordination of Epidemiology and Information, Municipal Health Department of São Paulo, São Paulo 01002-900, SP, Brazil
Breno Souza de Aguiar: Coordination of Epidemiology and Information, Municipal Health Department of São Paulo, São Paulo 01002-900, SP, Brazil
Marcelo Antunes Failla: Coordination of Epidemiology and Information, Municipal Health Department of São Paulo, São Paulo 01002-900, SP, Brazil
Larissa Fortunato Araújo: Graduate Program in Public Health, Department of Community Health, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza 60020-181, CE, Brazil
Larissa Loures Mendes: Postgraduate Program in Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil
Soraia Pinheiro Machado: Postgraduate Program in Nutrition and Health, Ceará State University, Fortaleza 60714-903, CE, Brazil
Antonio Augusto Ferreira Carioca: Nutrition Course, Health Sciences Center, University of Fortaleza, Fortaleza 60811-905, CE, Brazil

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 18, 1-16

Abstract: This study aimed to analyze whether community food environments are associated with individual food consumption among nutrition students and newly graduated nutritionists. This cross-sectional study used data from the Nutritionists’ Health Study cohort, which included 357 undergraduate nutrition students from the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. Exposure to the food environment was defined as the proximity and availability of food outlets within a 500 m buffer from the participants’ homes. Food consumption was assessed using a Food Frequency Questionnaire and analyzed according to the NOVA classification. Multi-level linear regression models with fixed effects were used to estimate the presence of food outlets within the buffer and their association with food consumption. The presence of mini-markets in the buffer in the fourth quartile was associated with lower consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) when observing socioeconomic and lifestyle conditions (β = −3.29; 95% CI = −6.39 to −0.19). The presence of bakeries and coffee shops was related to lower consumption of ultra-processed foods among participants when observing socioeconomic conditions (β = −3.10; 95% CI = −6.18 to −0.02). There was no clear evidence of an association between the type of food outlet and UPF consumption. The community food environment seemed to influence food consumption among study participants, although clearer and more consistent evidence on this subject is needed.

Keywords: food consumption; food processing; healthy eating; nutritionists (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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