Energy density and diet quality among Brazilian workers

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the energy density (ED) of workers' diets and examine their relationship with nutrient intake, diet quality, socio‐demographic and anthropometric factors.

Design/methodology/approach

Dietary data were collected by a 24‐hour recall. ED, defined as energy per unit weight of diet, included all food and excluded all beverages. Diet quality was evaluated using the Brazilian version of the health eating index. The associations between ED and socio‐demographic variables and body mass index were examined using regression models.

Findings

The study evaluated 201 individuals: 51 percent male; mean age 33.4 years (SD=9.5); 43 percent overweight. Women and men presented similar mean ED: 1.99 (95 percent CI: 1.90‐2.09) and 1.95 (95 percent CI: 1.89‐201). ED was inversely associated with age (β: −0.009; 95 percent CI: −0.015; −0.002) and with leisure physical activity (β: −0.049; 95 percent CI: −0.096; −0.002) and directly associated with liquid intake during meals (β: 0.159; 95 percent CI: 0.003; 0.285). Diets with higher ED were of lower quality: richer in total fat, saturated fat, trans fatty acids and added sugars, and concomitantly providing less vitamin C and less fiber. There was no association between ED and anthropometric variables.

Originality/value

The high ED diets consumed by these workers might represent a risk, because of the relationship between low quality diets and chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, obesity and cancer.

Citation

Marchioni, D.M., Gorgulho, B., Lipi, M. and Previdelli, A.N. (2013), "Energy density and diet quality among Brazilian workers", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 43 No. 5, pp. 422-431. https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-04-2012-0035