Food consumption, nutritional status and comorbidities in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Piauí

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 is considered a Public Health problem. It affects children and adolescents, in addition to having indirect impacts on health, affecting nutritional status and food consumption. Objective: To analyze food consumption, nutritional status and comorbidities of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Piauí. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional, population-based, household study, of a quantitative, analytical nature, an excerpt from a broader research, conducted through a serological survey throughout Piauí, called EpiCovid. Results: Children aged 4 to 5 years had an appropriate weight for their age before and during the pandemic, 60% and 80% respectively and 75% had an appropriate height for their age, from 5 to 10 years old they were classified as eutrophic, before the pandemic (41.2%) and during (33.4%) and a higher rate of overweight during the pandemic (20.5%). 29.9% of adolescents were eutrophic before the pandemic and 37.2% during the pandemic, there was also an increase in overweight to 9.8%. The most prevalent comorbidities were: asthma, other respiratory diseases and obesity. There was regular consumption of fruit, good consumption of rice and beans and high consumption of processed foods. Conclusions: The children and adolescents were eutrophic, with adequate height for their age. The most prevalent comorbidities were: asthma, other respiratory diseases and obesity. There was a high consumption of regional staple foods (rice, beans) and eggs, a higher consumption of chicken; the consumption of Fruits, Vegetables and Vegetables (FV) was regular and there was a high consumption of ultra-processed foods.