Fatores associados ao consumo de alimentos segundo o grau de processamento na Atenção Primária à Saúde

Introduction : The consumption of a population can be related to socioeconomic, demographic and lifestyle factors, and its quality can be assessed according to the degree of food processing proposed by the NOVA Classification. Objective : Assess food consumption according to the degree of processing among users of primary health care in relation to socioeconomic, demographic and lifestyle conditions. Methods : Cross-sectional study conducted between September 2019 and March 2020, with adults and elderly users of primary health care in the city of Guidoval-MG. We elaborated a structured questionnaire with socioeconomic and demographic variables and a qualitative food frequency questionnaire, in which foods were classified according to the NOVA classification. We made Poisson regression with robust variance, remaining in the final model as variables with a significance level of less than 5%. We used the prevalence ratio with a 95% confidence interval as measure of effect. Results : We took 361 requests. We found a higher prevalence of regular consumption of ultra-processed foods among black individuals, living in urban areas, single and with higher socioeconomic status. Higher regular consumption of in natura or minimally processed foods was associated with white skin color, higher educational level and the practice of physical activity. Conclusions : Individual and contextual factors studied influence the consumption of in natura or minimally processed and ultra-processed foods, suggesting the need for greater intervention in specific population groups and emphasizing the importance of adopting a healthy diet.