Caracterização do perfil alimentar e fatores nutricionais associados ao controle glicêmico de crianças e adolescentes com diabetes mellitus tipo 1

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the eating patterns of children and adolescents with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) and compare the resulting data with current nutritional recommendations.Methods: One hundred forty-six children and adolescents participated in the study, ranging in age from 7 to 19 years, with a minimum DM1 diagnosis of one year, attended at the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology of the HC/UFMG. The diet of each participant was evaluated by means of a Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), previously validated and tested in a pilot-project. Complementary information related to the diet and anthropometric, clinical, and socio-economic data were obtained through a semi-structured questionnaire.Results: It was verified that the average percent of ingested calories from proteins and polyunsaturated fats and cholesterol was within the adopted recommendations. The percent of saturated fats and cholesterol, however, exceeded the recommendation throughout the studied population. The ingestion of monounsaturated fats and carbohydrates in individuals of up to 14 years of age did not reach the adopted recommendation. Adolescents between 15 and 19 ingested the greatest percent of calories from carbohydrates, whereas participants between the ages of 7 and 10 years ingested more fats and proteins. A greater number of individuals from the 15 to 19 years subgroup were also observed among those that did not eat meals with their families, did not have regular meal times, ate .4 meals/day, and among those that bought or did not have a snack at school.Conclusion: The data revealed a diet with an unsatisfactory lipid profile and inadequate eating habits, mainly between adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19. These findings are cause for concern as nutritional inadequacies can impair the metabolic control of these individuals.