Added sugar intake of health area students in an educational institution of Viçosa, Brazil

Abstract

Evidence shows that excessive sugar consumption may impair the quality of feeding affecting negatively on health. The
objective of this study was evaluated the intake of macronutrients and adequacy of sugar consumption by healthcare
students of Federal University of Viçosa, Brazil. The study included 157 women and 30 men, aged 21.3 ± 3.4 years,
with mean body mass index (BMI) of 22.03 ± 4.03 kg m-2 and waist circumference (WC) of 72.95 ± 8.96 cm. Semi-
structured questionnaires were administered and proceeded to anthropometric and dietary assessments of individuals.
The results revealed high average daily intake of added sugar (69.21 ± 5.25 g) which consequently increased the fructose
content of feeding (36.22 ± 29.78 g), and a low intake of fiber (15.51 ± 7.30 g). It was found that the average intake
of added sugar was significantly (p <0.05) associated to body weight (0.172, p = 0.041), BMI (0.181, p = 0.031) and
consumption of macronutrients and calcium (0.247; p = 0.003). Should consider the need to implement measures to
promote significant behavioral changes with regard to the supply of undergraduate health courses.