(P14-005-23) Dense-Energy and Low-Dense Fiber Dietary Pattern Among Brazilian Adults: 2017–2018 National Dietary Survey

Objectives: To identify dietary patterns associated with obesity-risk nutrients.

Methods: The data set includes 27,142 adults (20-59 years old), after excluding pregnant and lactating women (n=1,073), from the 2017-2018 Brazilian National Dietary Survey. Food consumption was assessed by the mean of two 24-hour dietary recalls. The items cited on the first day were grouped into 37 food groups according to their nutritional characteristics. The partial least squares (PLS) regression was the statistical method used for identifying dietary patterns associated with a higher risk of obesity. The energy density (ED), percentage of total fat (%TF), and fiber density (FD) were selected as response variables, and all dietary variables were standardized. Food groups with factor loadings ≥ l0.15l were retained in the dietary patterns. The linear association between dietary pattern scores and response variables was assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The analysis considered complex sample design, sampling weights, and p-value < 0.05 for statistical significance.

Results: Three dietary patterns were extracted, which explain 48.8% of the food consumption variation. The first dietary pattern, characterized as "high energy-dense (HED) and low fiber-dense (LFD)", explained most of the variation (31.5%). In this pattern, the variation explained by ED, %TF, and FD were 41.9%, 2.9%, and 49.7%, respectively. The HED-LFD pattern presented a strong positive linear correlation with ED (r=0.66; p< 0.01), a strong negative linear correlation with FD (r=-0.72; p< 0.01), and a weak positive linear correlation with %TF (r=0.15; p< 0.01). The retained food groups with positive factor loadings were solid fat, bread, added sugar beverages, fast food, sauces, pasta, and cheese. In contrast, those with negative factor loadings were rice, beans, vegetables, water, and fruits.

Conclusions: The HED-LFD dietary pattern, marked with low intake of healthy items such as vegetables, fruits, as well as, rice and beans, which are typical Brazilian staple foods.

Funding Sources: Brazilian Federal Foundation for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education (CAPES) Foundation