Quality of the diet of 18-year-old adolescents belonging to the birth cohort of 1993 in Pelotas in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

The scope of this article is to describe the quality of the diet of adolescents according to sociodemographic and behavioral factors. It involved a cross-sectional study with 3,959 eighteen-year-old adolescents belonging to the birth cohort of 1993 in Pelotas in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Dietary intake was assessed using a semi quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire with a recall period of 12 months. The diet quality was assessed using the Diet Quality Index Revised (DQI-R). This index ranges from 0 to 100 points and the higher the score, the better the diet quality. The overall DQI-R mean score was 62.4 points (DP). The lowest rates were observed for dark green and orange vegetables (3.0), total vegetables (3.4) and dairy products (3.6). Non-Caucasian adolescents (63.1), from families in which the heads of the household had less schooling (63.6) and belonging to the lowest quintile of the asset index (64.7) had higher average scores in the DQI-R. Lower averages were found among adolescents who smoked (58.5) and who consumed alcoholic beverages (56.0). This study showed that diet quality of the adolescents assessed deserve attention, especially with regard to the intake of vegetables, milk and dairy products.