Maria Fernanda Elias, Dr.: dsm-firmenich: Employee (Ongoing)
Objectives: Dietitians have a role in leading strategies to support the achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a call for action to address a range of social needs, including ending all forms of malnutrition by taking special care of populations experiencing low-income. It is critical to understand these group´s health values and consumption habits, so the nutrition interventions can be successful, especially in terms of adherence. This study aims to investigate the food consumption profile and health concerns of this population, to guide the design of successful nutrition interventions to support the local and global achievement of the SDGs targets.
Methods: A multicentric study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative techniques. For the qualitative research, trained interviewers used structured questionnaires to gather in-depth information about eating behaviors. The quantitative research was based on a systematic collection of data to gather knowledge about food prevalence in meals and health concerns. The study engaged 452 people equally distributed in 3 state capitals of Brazil.
Results: The prevalence of food items that made up the composition of meals were rice (93%), bread (86%) and chicken (89%). The most common health concerns were lack of energy (25%), overweight (24%), headache (23%) and visual impairment (21%). On the other hand, what the population most valued in terms of health was physical energy (66%), growth and development of kids (54%), physical performance (54%), stress management (47%), strong immunity (43%), better nutrition (41%), heart health (40%), memory enhancement (35%), hair and nails appearance (32%), sleep better (30%), eye health (21%) and strong bones (21%).
Conclusions: Strategic actions to accelerate the achievement of SDGs are require not only to fill the nutrient gaps but also to guarantee the adherence, which relies on a clear communication of its benefits. This research concluded that rice can be an excellent vehicle for fortification with vitamins and minerals, as rice is prevalent in 93% of the studied population meals. Dietitians can back up the intervention by communicating that consuming the fortified rice in family meals can support the individuals to address their main health values, such as physical energy and proper child development.
