Percepção da imagem corporal e consumo alimentar de adolescentes : Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do Escolar (PeNSE, 2019)

Abstract

Introduction: Adolescence is a period of intense physical, behavioral, and psychosocial changes, and it is also a crucial phase in the development of self-image, which in turn impacts dietary consumption. Objective: To analyze the association between body image self-perception and dietary intake in Brazilian adolescents. Method: This cross-sectional study, conducted with adolescents aged 13 to 17 years enrolled in public and private schools in Brazil, uses secondary samples from PeNSE 2019. The independent variable is body image perception, while the dependent variables include dietary intake (healthy and unhealthy), as well as demographic, socioeconomic, and lifestyle variables. Statistical analysis will be performed through descriptive tests, chi-square, Poisson regression, and multiple Poisson regression, using Stata/SE software, considering the complexity of the sample design. Results: The study assessed 158,799 adolescents, with a higher prevalence of girls (50.9%) and an age range of 13 to 15 years (51.7%). Body dissatisfaction was more common among girls (29.1%) and adolescents aged 16 to 17 years (24.9%). Boys who regularly consumed fruits and vegetables were more satisfied with their body image (78.5% and 79.6%), while girls showed greater dissatisfaction when not consuming these foods, with dissatisfaction prevalences of 29.8% (vegetables), 30.2% (fruits), and 33.1% (beans). They were also more dissatisfied when they regularly consumed soft drinks (31.9%) and sweets (32.5%). In the bivariate analysis, body dissatisfaction was associated with the consumption of fruits (p=0.003), beans (p=0.000), soft drinks (p=0.001), and sweets/snacks (p=0.001). The perception of being thin was associated with the consumption of fruits, vegetables, beans, soft drinks, and sweets (p<0.001). The perception of being overweight was associated with the consumption of beans (p=0.000) and vegetables (p=0.002). Conclusion: Body dissatisfaction was associated with the dietary intake of adolescents of both sexes.