Craving em alcoolistas e sua relação com a escolha de alimentos

Abstract

Alcoholism is a public health problem that leads to biopsychosocial harm. Decreased or discontinued use of alcohol may lead to alcohol withdrawal (SAA), which is usually overdue in 7 days, and craving or craving, an intense desire to use the substance, is more intense. Some authors have associated craving with increasing desire to eat foods rich in simple carbohydrates to reduce symptoms of ASD. Thus, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of craving on the choice of food in internal alcoholic patients for detoxification. The study is of the transversal, descriptive and quantitative type, developed with inmates in a hospital in Vitoria de Santo Antao. The classification system of the Brazilian Association of Companies and Research (ABEP, 2014) was used to evaluate sociodemographic aspects; the analysis of the nutritional status was performed through BMI, waist circumference, hip and arm, as well as tricipital fold. The questionnaire for the evaluation of craving in alcoholics was developed by Araujo (2004). For the evaluation of dietary habits, the How is your food? Test of the Ministry of Health (2014) was applied. The findings of this study allowed us to identify inappropriate eating habits, such as high consumption of sausages (77.5%) and low consumption of fruits and vegetables (52.5%), as well as a high percentage of protein malnutrition in the evaluated ones (55-75% ). It was verified that 25% (n = 10) of the studied patients presented moderate to strong craving. It was possible to observe that 27.5% of the individuals reported feeling the desire to consume food sources of simple carbohydrates to divert the thought in the alcoholic beverage. Conclusion: It is known that the abusive use of alcoholic beverages has a direct and indirect influence on the diet and nutrition of its dependents, however, an association between craving and consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods has not been established statistically and further studies should be carried out However, in relation to food consumption, it was demonstrated the need of the nutrition professional as part of the multiprofessional team responsible for the treatment of these individuals.