Recommended intake of fruits and vegetables in a capital of southeastern Brazil: prevalence and associated factors in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 2010 - 2019

Abstract

Cross-sectional population-based study with data from VIGITEL, a telephone survey conducted by the Ministry of Health. The recommended intake of fruits and vegetables (FV) were analyzed for Belo Horizonte, between 2010 and 2019 and aims to contribute to improvements in the formulation of local policies, considering the scarcity of these studies in the capital of Minas Gerais. The sample consisted of 19.454 participants whose frequency of recommended intake of these foods was evaluated and compared in terms of obtaining financial aid for families in poverty, gender, age and schooling, using statistical analysis and considering a significance level of 0.05. In all years, the recommended intake prevailed among women, and, over the period, approximately 31% of the entire population surveyed intakes FV as recommended. There was a rejection among young people aged 18 to 24 years in relation to the intake of these foods. More years of studies were favorably associated with the recommended FV intake and among those who received financial aid, an increase of 9% was observed, considering the period. Sociodemographic and economic factors have an important influence on the recommended FV intake and, being subject to intervention, they can help the health of the population.