School food environment, eating behavior and consumption of unprocessed and minimally processed foods among adolescents

The study aimed to evaluate the association between the school food environment and patterns of eating behavior with the consumption of unprocessed and minimally processed foods (U/MPFs) by adolescents from public and private schools. 499 adolescents from 9th grade of elementary school participated. A self-administered questionnaire with demographic and socio-economic aspects, consumption of U/MPFs the previous day and school meals, purchase of U/MPFs in the canteen and the surroundings and individual eating behaviors (number of meals, eating in the presence of screens and eating in company) was used. Principal Component Analysis was carried out to identify behavior patterns. Poisson Regression models assessed the association between behavior patterns and the purchase and consumption of U/MPFs in the school environment with consumption of five or more U/MPFs. Only 35.6% consumed five or more U/MPFs the previous day. The prevalence was higher in students from public schools with a healthy behavior pattern and who consume school meals more than three times a week. Those who buy U/MPFs in the school surroundings also had a higher prevalence. The findings reinforce the importance of public policies that promote healthy eating in adolescence.

Key words:
Adolescents; Food consumption; School; Eating behavior; Food environment