Abstract
The consumption of ultra-processed foods plays an important role in the development of obesity and hypertension. The present study investigated the association between consumption of food according to the degree of processing and anthropometric indicators of obesity and blood pressure in children. This is a cross-sectional study with 164 children aged 7–10 years. The body mass index (BMI) for age, waist circumference (WC), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) was evaluated. Food consumption was analyzed by three 24-h dietary recalls, and classified as: G1—unprocessed or minimally processed; G2—culinary ingredients and processed food; and G3—ultra-processed food. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate the associations among variables. The average energy consumption was 1762.76 kcal/day, split into 45.42%, 10.88%, and 43.70%, provided by G1, G2, and G3, respectively. Adjusted linear regression analyses identified that the caloric contribution of G1 was inversely associated with DBP, showing that for each 10% increase in the energy intake of minimally processed foods, there was a reduction of 0.96 mmHg in the DBP (β:−0.10; 95% CI:−0.19 to −0.01; r2 = 0.20). There was no association between the caloric contribution of food groups and BMI, WC, WHtR, and SBP. Increasing consumption of G1 could be a strategy for the prevention and treatment of hypertension in schoolchildren.
Highlights
Obesity [1] and systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) [2] are public health problems with an increasing prevalence in children and adolescents worldwide
It is known that obesity and high blood pressure in childhood can persist into adolescence [7] and adulthood [8,9,10]
The percentages of the energy from each food group were 45.42% from Group 1 (G1), The mean total energetic consumption was 1762.76 kcal/day
Summary
Obesity [1] and systemic arterial hypertension (SAH) [2] are public health problems with an increasing prevalence in children and adolescents worldwide. Between 1975 and 2016, obesity in children and adolescents (5–19 years) increased more than tenfold, from 11 million to around 124 million in the world [1]. In Brazil, it was estimated that, in 2016, the prevalence of obesity in girls and boys (5–9 years) was 12.4% and 17.6%, respectively [3]. The worldwide prevalence of SAH in children and adolescents was 4% according to a meta-analysis performed by Song et al [2], who observed a. Foods 2020, 9, 1567 trend of increasing prevalence over the past two decades [2]. It is known that obesity and high blood pressure in childhood can persist into adolescence [7] and adulthood [8,9,10]
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