Conhecimento e preferências alimentares em crianças de 3-9 anos na cidade de Pelotas, RS.

Abstract

Objective To describe food preferences and knowledge about healthy foods in a sample of children aged 3-9 years living in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, the association between these variables and their main determinants.

Methods A cross-sectional survey included 580 children living in 144 urban census tracts. Photographs of pairs of foodstuffs, including a healthy food and another with high energy density or poor nutritional value, were shown to the children. Two sets of scores, ranging from 0 to 10, were created for assessing knowledge and preferences. Data analysis methods included t-tests, Pearson correlation coefficients, ANOVA for linear trend and multiple linear regression.

Results The mean knowledge score (6.6) was higher than the preference score (4.0). The correlation between the two scores was low (r=0.15). In the adjusted analyses, knowledge scores were higher for girls, for older children, for those with higher socioecomic status families, those attending schools and, among the latter, in higher grades. The positive effect of maternal schooling was greater among older children and for those attending higher grades. The only variables associated with adequate food preferences were school attendance and a positive interaction between maternal schooling and the child’s age.

Conclusions The children presented reasonably good knowledge about healthy foods, but expressed a preference for foods with high energy content.