Dietary practices of college students were compared before and after implementation of the University Restaurant (UR) and examined according to frequency of UR use. A natural experiment was conducted with students (n = 1131) of a Brazilian public university using a validated self-completed and identified questionnaire that inquired information on practices of substituting lunch and/or dinner with a snack (≥ 5 days/week) and on regular consumption of foods that were markers of a healthy or unhealthy diet. At the second time point, UR use by students was also assessed based on their attendance to it. Changes in food practices were examined by determining differences in proportions between the two assessments. The analysis of the association between UR use and each dietary practice was carried out using multiple logistic regression models. An association was observed between greater UR use and higher frequency of regular consumption of beans, vegetables, raw vegetables, cooked vegetables and fruit and lower frequency of regular consumption of French fries and/or fried snacks. The UR proved to be an environment that facilitated the adoption of healthy dietary practices and promoted improvement in the diets of the students who were more assiduous to the restaurant.

Studies of food environments lack easy-to-apply indicators for their characterization and monitoring. This study aimed to create and assess the applicability of an a priori classification of establishments that sell foods for immediate consumption and to develop and apply indicators for assessment of the establishments’ healthiness. The indicators were grouped by the types of foods sold most frequently at these establishments, according to the extent and purpose of the foods’ industrial processing. Four indicators were developed, based on the availability of unprocessed/minimally processed foods (MPF) and ultra-processed foods (UPF) in the establishments. The classification and indicators were applied to commercial food establishments at two Brazilian universities. Descriptive analyses were performed to characterize the food environment for all the establishments and by university. Two proportion indicators assess the relative availability of subgroups of MPF and UPF. The UPF/MPF ratio expresses the relative advantage/disadvantage of the availability of MPF compared to that of UPF. The Healthiness Index or summary score expresses the availability of MPF and the unavailability of UPF. The classification and indicators present good discriminatory power and are easy to operationalize, interpret, and adapt.

Objective To describe the food environment of a public university located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and to review the changes that occurred between the years 2011 and 2016. Methods Time trend study (through repeated cross-sectional studies) of the sale of food, culinary preparations and beverages in the University Campus establishments in 2011, 2012 and 2016. Variables regarding the description of the establishments and the offer, price and advertising of food, beverages and culinary preparations were assessed through a checklist. Comparisons between establishments in each year and the analysis of such comparison changes during the period were performed by assessing the difference between absolute and relative values observed in each year. Results Increased number of establishments available, good convenience and financial accessibility were observed. There was a relative disadvantage in the availability of fresh or minimally processed foods and culinary preparations; a predominance of advertising of ultra-processed foods; and lack of nutritional information of culinary preparations. The predominance of establishments selling snacks and candies increased over the years. Conclusion In the period studied, the university food environment did not favor healthy food choices.

Background: Overweight and obesity are conditions associated with sedentary lifestyle and accumulation of abdominal fat, determining increased mortality, favoring chronic diseases, and increasing cardiovascular risk. Although the evaluation of body composition and fat distribution are highly relevant, the high cost of the gold standard techniques limits their wide utilization. Therefore, the aim of this work was to explore the relationships between simple anthropometric measures and BIA variables using multivariate linear regression models to estimate body composition and fat distribution in adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, sixty-eight adult individuals (20 males and 48 females) were subjected to bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), anthropometric measurements (waist circumference (WC), neck circumference (NC), mid-arm circumference (MAC)), allowing the calculation of conicity index (C-index), fat mass/fat-free mass (FM/FFM) ratios, body mass index (BMI) and body shape index (ABSI). Statistical analyzes were performed with the R program. Nonparametric Statistical tests were applied to compare the characteristics of participants of the groups (normal weight, overweight and obese). For qualitative variables, the Fisher’s exact test was applied, and for quantitative variables, the paired Wilcoxon signed-rank test. To evaluate the linear association between each pair of variables, the Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated, and Multivariate linear regression models were adjusted using the stepwise variable selection method, with Akaike Information Criterion (p ≤ 0.05). Results: BIA variables with the highest correlations with anthropometric measures were total body water (TBW), body fat percentage (BFP), FM, FFM and FM/FFM. The multiple linear regression analysis showed, in general, that the same variables can be estimated through simple anthropometric measures. Conclusions: The assessment of fat distribution in the body is desirable for the diagnosis and definition of obesity severity. However, the high cost of the instruments (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, hydrostatic weighing, air displacement plethysmography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance) to assess it, favors the use of BMI in the clinical practice. Nevertheless, BMI does not represent a real fat distribution and body fat percentage. This highlights the relevance of the findings of the current study, since simple anthropometric variables can be used to estimate important BIA variables that are related to fat distribution and body composition.

Resumo O objetivo foi avaliar a validade de conteúdo e a confiabilidade de um instrumento de auditoria para avaliação do ambiente alimentar universitário. Foi desenvolvido checklist para a avaliação de estabelecimentos que comercializavam alimentos e bebidas neste ambiente. A validação de conteúdo abarcou o desenvolvimento do instrumento, a análise por especialistas e a realização do pré-teste. A confiabilidade foi avaliada em uma amostra de conveniência (n=64) de estabelecimentos distribuídos em sete campi de três universidades públicas e foi realizada pelos testes interobservador (TIO) e teste-reteste (TR). Variáveis categóricas e de contagem foram analisadas pelo cálculo da concordância percentual (CP) e dos índices kappa (k) e kappa ajustado pela prevalência e pelo viés (ka) e variáveis contínuas, pelo Coeficiente de Correlação Intraclasse (CCI). O checklist foi composto por 204 itens distribuídos em sete domínios. O desempenho do instrumento foi considerado excelente ou muito bom para 91,3% (CP) dos itens quando avaliados. No TIO 68,3% (k) e 96,5% (ka) tiveram concordância excelente, muito boa ou boa, enquanto no TR 65% tiveram concordância excelente para o k e 96,5% para o ka. O instrumento apresentou validade de conteúdo e confiabilidade satisfatórias.

Resumo Avaliar possíveis diferenças nas trajetórias alimentares de estudantes segundo assiduidade ao Restaurante Universitário (RU) e forma de ingresso na universidade. Experimento natural com graduandos (n=1.131) de uma universidade pública brasileira. Em 2011 e 2013 foram aplicados questionários identificados e autopreenchidos presencialmente sobre consumo regular de alimentos marcadores de alimentação saudável ou não saudável, realização do almoço, jantar e substituição de almoço e/ou jantar por lanche. A variação das práticas alimentares regulares foi avaliada pela trajetória individual de cada estudante obtida pela combinação das respostas nos dois questionários. A análise da associação entre a assiduidade ao RU e a trajetória (positiva ou negativa) foi feita por meio de modelos de regressão logística múltipla. Observou-se associação (IC95% não sobrepostos) entre maior assiduidade ao RU e maior chance de trajetória positiva para realização de jantar e de almoço e para consumo de feijão, hortaliças, hortaliças cruas, frutas, biscoito de pacote, hambúrguer/embutidos e guloseimas e menor chance de trajetória negativa para feijão, hortaliças cruas e salgados fritos. A implementação do RU promoveu significativa melhoria da alimentação dos estudantes assíduos a ele, tanto cotistas quanto não cotistas.