Dietary transition and excess weight in adults according to the Encuesta de la Situación Nutricional en Colombia, 2010

Abstract

Introduction: Dietary transition is codetermined by demographic and nutritional transitions.

Objectives: To establish the prevalence of overweight individuals among Colombians aged 18 to 64, identify their dietary patterns and establish the relationship between this and their excess weight.

Materials and methods: We analyzed the Encuesta de la Situación Nutricional en Colombia, 2010 (National Survey of the Nutritional Situation in Colombia, 2010). Dietary patterns were established with factor analysis in 5,217 subjects, who answered a questionnaire on food consumption frequency. The relationship between excess weight and adherence to quartiles in the patterns was established with binomial regression.

Results: The prevalence of excess weight was 47.4% in men (95% CI: 44.7; 50.0) and 57.1% in women (95% CI: 54.9; 59.3, p<0.0001). Three patterns were established: protein/fiber, sandwich/snack and traditional/starch. When the models were adjusted for age, sex and level of food security in the home, the protein/fiber and traditional/starch patterns were found to be associated with excess weight (test of linear trend for quartiles of adherence, p=0.007 and p=0.001, respectively). Neither the frequency of consumption of carbonated and sugary drinks, with an adjusted relative risk of 100 (95% CI: 93 - 109; p=0.913), nor that of fast food with 102 (95% CI: 89; 117; p=0.759) were associated with excess weight.

Conclusions: Excess weight increases constantly with age, particularly in women, and is associated positively with indicators of socioeconomic status and subjects changing from the traditional/starch pattern to the protein/fiber one.

Keywords: Colombia; Feeding behavior; adult; food habits; obesity.