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Eating beyond an Individual Choice: Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Feeding

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Behavioral and Mental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 8 October 2024 | Viewed by 10778

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Verônica Cortez Ginani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition, College of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
Interests: public health; nutrition; food safety; sustainability; food waste; food literacy; ethnic and racial minorities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Renata Puppin Zandonadi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
Interests: diet; food; foodservice; nutrition; plant-based; gluten-free; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The relationship between food and the three main pillars of sustainability (social, economic and environmental sustainability) has always existed, but it is currently becoming more visible. Alongside increasing environmental degradation and scarcity of natural resources, undernutrition in its different forms affects thousands of individuals worldwide, highlighting food inequalities in the most vulnerable populations. Food choices represent a complex process reflecting methods of food consumption and production. An individual's dietary patterns impact the main domains of sustainability and quality of life. In this sense, dietary choices must be thought of as a collective act, and a healthy diet can only materialize by understanding feeding and food complexity. As a basic human right, food must be accessible considering sufficient, nutritious and safe food; respect cultural habits; and originate from sustainable production systems, among others. With the aim to achieve this human right and make healthy eating accessible, research must be strategically designed to stimulate public policies and other government policies, or private actions may be adopted to ensure that adequate diets are affordable. By developing a collective awareness of healthy food choices, this pathway can be transformed. The community and food environments have an important role in this regard. Menu planning must be performed to encompass all the principles of healthy and sustainable eating. Thus, it can be used for health promotion in several types of food services, which many people eat their meals from daily. It is also important to consider nutritional education and external influences, such as the media, in constructing food choices. The joint action of actors involved in forming conscious individuals committed to healthy eating will strengthen the guarantee of the right to food access. In this sense, this Special Issue proposes to publish research that supports the promotion of collective awareness focused on healthy and sustainable food choices. Actions regarding different aspects of food, especially concerning more vulnerable individuals, should be widely discussed to create solutions focused on protecting life, health and the planet. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to summarize the state-of-the-art research and practice regarding achieving healthy and sustainable diets. The Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Food as a human right;
  • Food choice;
  • Food quality;
  • Food literacy;
  • Sustainable diets;
  • Menu management;
  • Quality of life;
  • Nutritional education.

Prof. Dr. Verônica Cortez Ginani
Prof. Dr. Renata Puppin Zandonadi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food quality
  • food literacy
  • food safety
  • food security
  • sustainability
  • food choices
  • food purchase
  • quality of life

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 340 KiB  
Article
Eating Competence among Brazilian College Students
by Caroline Frois Boeira, Fabiana Lopes Nalon de Queiroz, Renata Puppin Zandonadi, Helena Beatriz Rower, Eduardo Yoshio Nakano and Ana Maria Pandolfo Feoli
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3488; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043488 - 16 Feb 2023
Viewed by 1439
Abstract
Eating competence (EC) is a biopsychosocial concept related to a healthier eating pattern. Studies have shown that weight gain and body shape and weight dissatisfaction are typical among college students, contributing to low self-esteem, risky eating behaviors, and a propensity to develop eating [...] Read more.
Eating competence (EC) is a biopsychosocial concept related to a healthier eating pattern. Studies have shown that weight gain and body shape and weight dissatisfaction are typical among college students, contributing to low self-esteem, risky eating behaviors, and a propensity to develop eating disorders. As eating habits are determinant factors for food choices that can be modified by eating behavior, this study aimed to evaluate EC in college students from Brazil, using the Brazilian version of the EC Satter Inventory (ecSI2.0™BR), and EC’s association with health data. This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey spread using the snowball method. The self-report instrument was divided into three parts (socioeconomic and demographic data; health data; and ecSI2.0™BR). Recruitment took place through social networks, and 593 students from public and private universities from all five regions of Brazil participated in the survey. The EC average was 29.46 ± 8.67, and 46.2% of the sample were considered competent eaters. Total EC did not differ among gender and Brazilian region. Younger participants (up to 20 y/o) presented higher scores for total EC, contextual skills and food acceptance. The total EC and contextual skills of health sciences students did not differ from those of students in other areas, except for agricultural sciences in which students had lower total EC. Obese individuals and the participants who perceived themselves to be overweight had low scores for EC. This study confirmed the hypothesis that college students have low EC, causing worse health outcomes related to BMI, perceived body weight, and occurrence of hypertension and dyslipidemia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eating beyond an Individual Choice: Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Feeding)
13 pages, 382 KiB  
Article
Impact of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption on Quality of Diet among Brazilian Pregnant Women Assisted in Primary Health Care
by Walkyria O. Paula, Vivian S. S. Gonçalves, Erika S. O. Patriota, Sylvia C. C. Franceschini and Nathalia Pizato
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1015; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021015 - 05 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1968
Abstract
The quality of diet and nutritional status during pregnancy are crucial to optimize maternal and fetal health. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are increasingly prevalent in pregnancy groups despite being nutritionally unbalanced and associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. This cross-sectional study, conducted with data from [...] Read more.
The quality of diet and nutritional status during pregnancy are crucial to optimize maternal and fetal health. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are increasingly prevalent in pregnancy groups despite being nutritionally unbalanced and associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. This cross-sectional study, conducted with data from 229 pregnant women, aimed to investigate the association between UPFs consumption and dietary nutrient intake of pregnant women assisted by Primary Health Care (PHC) in Federal District (DF), Brazil. Food consumption was assessed through two non-consecutive 24-h food records and categorized by the extent of processing using the NOVA classification. Multivariate linear regression models were used to analyze the association between the quintiles of UPF consumption and the total energy and nutrients intake. Mean daily energy intake was 1741 kcal, with 22.6% derived from UPFs. Greater UPF consumption was associated with reduced intake of unprocessed and minimally processed food. The highest quintile of UPFs was positively associated with higher total energy, trans fat, and sodium intake; and inversely associated with the diet content of protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc, selenium, and folate. Greater UPFs intake negatively impacts the nutritional quality of the diet and impoverishes the nutrient intake of pregnant women. Reducing UPF consumption may broadly improve dietary guidelines adherence in pregnant women and promote maternal and neonatal health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eating beyond an Individual Choice: Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Feeding)
16 pages, 688 KiB  
Article
Individual and Socioeconomic Contextual Factors Associated with Obesity in Brazilian Adolescents: VigiNUTRI Brasil
by Rafaella Lemos Alves, Natacha Toral and Vivian Siqueira Santos Gonçalves
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 430; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010430 - 27 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1561
Abstract
This study investigated the association of socioeconomic contextual factors of the municipality of residence of adolescents, their eating behavior and food consumption with the prevalence of obesity. This was a cross-sectional study, based on individual data regarding anthropometry, eating behavior (eating in front [...] Read more.
This study investigated the association of socioeconomic contextual factors of the municipality of residence of adolescents, their eating behavior and food consumption with the prevalence of obesity. This was a cross-sectional study, based on individual data regarding anthropometry, eating behavior (eating in front of screens and having at least three main meals a day), and markers of healthy and unhealthy eating of 23,509 adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, participating in the Food and Nutrition Surveillance of the Brazilian Population monitored in Primary Health Care (VigiNUTRI Brasil) assessment in 2018. Based on multilevel Poisson regression, a higher prevalence of obesity was observed among adolescents living in municipalities with per capita income above USD209.68 (PR = 1.22; 95% CI 1.05;1.42) and among those who consumed hamburgers and/or processed meats the previous day (PR = 1.09; 95% CI 1.01;1.17). Adolescents who had the habit of having three main meals a day (PR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.73;0.89 p < 0.05) and who consumed fresh fruit the previous day (PR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.84;0.98 p < 0.001) had lower prevalence of obesity. The results reinforce the influence of the social context and food consumption on obesity rates. The persistence of this situation implies a worsening in the current and future health of adolescents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eating beyond an Individual Choice: Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Feeding)
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9 pages, 792 KiB  
Article
Carbon Footprint of Away-From-Home Food Consumption in Brazilian Diet
by Ilana Nogueira Bezerra, Sara Maria Moreira Lima Verde, Bruno de Sousa Almeida and Clarisse Vasconcelos de Azevedo
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16708; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416708 - 13 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1640
Abstract
Environmentally unsustainable diets are often characterized by being high in calories, processed foods, and red meats, characteristics related to away-from-home food (AFHF). The aim of this study is to evaluate if AFHF consumption is related to environmental sustainability. Data of 20,780 adults from [...] Read more.
Environmentally unsustainable diets are often characterized by being high in calories, processed foods, and red meats, characteristics related to away-from-home food (AFHF). The aim of this study is to evaluate if AFHF consumption is related to environmental sustainability. Data of 20,780 adults from 24 h recalls collected in the 2017–2018 Brazilian National Dietary Survey (NDS) were used to estimate carbon footprint coefficients. The mean carbon footprint was estimated among individuals who consumed AFHF and non-consumers. Linear regression models were used to evaluate differences between away-from-home eating and the carbon footprint of the diet, adjusting for age and income. A total of 41% of Brazilians consumed AFHF during the previous day. The mean carbon footprint from foods consumed away from home represented 18% of the total carbon footprint. AFHF was positively associated with increased total carbon footprint (β: 204.1; p-value: 0.0145). In conclusion, the consumption of foods away from home in urban areas of Brazil was associated with atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions independently of age and income. Away-from-home food consumption should be considered to reinforce the influence of diet on individual and planet health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eating beyond an Individual Choice: Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Feeding)
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12 pages, 367 KiB  
Article
Home-Prepared Meal Consumption Is Associated with Healthy Food Choices in Pregnant Women Followed Up by Primary Health Care
by Mariana S. Gondin, Henrique P. Aguiar, Érika S. O. Patriota, Walkyria O. Paula, Nathalia Pizato, Sylvia C. C. Franceschini and Vivian S. S. Gonçalves
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16557; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416557 - 09 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1311
Abstract
The act of preparing food, especially at home, may be related to improvement in healthy eating patterns. This study analyzed the association between home-prepared meals consumption and the food markers consumption, and weight gain in pregnant women followed up in Primary Health Care [...] Read more.
The act of preparing food, especially at home, may be related to improvement in healthy eating patterns. This study analyzed the association between home-prepared meals consumption and the food markers consumption, and weight gain in pregnant women followed up in Primary Health Care in the Federal District (DF), Brazil. This is a cross-sectional study, conducted with pregnant women of all gestational ages. The characteristics of meals preparation and intake, as well as the consumption of food markers, were evaluated through structured questionnaires. Gestational weight gain was evaluated based on data recorded in the pregnant woman’s booklet. Variables related to pregnancy, health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status were analyzed as covariates. A total of 233 pregnant women were included in this study, with a mean age of 28.50 (SD = 6.32) years. Inadequate gestational weight gain was found in 46% of pregnant women. Consumption of soft drinks was 49% lower in pregnant women who prepared all meals at home. Eating home-prepared meals was inversely associated with a high score for unhealthy foods. Home-prepared meals consumption could be an effective health promotion strategy in Primary Health Care, helping to increase the chances of vegetable consumption, and decrease the consumption of soft drinks. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eating beyond an Individual Choice: Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Feeding)

Review

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48 pages, 733 KiB  
Review
Acceptability of School Menus: A Systematic Review of Assessment Methods
by Síntia Almeida Santana, Sueny Andrade Batista, Dayanne da Costa Maynard, Verônica Cortez Ginani, Renata Puppin Zandonadi and Raquel Braz Assunção Botelho
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2242; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032242 - 27 Jan 2023
Viewed by 2321
Abstract
The school meal promotes healthy eating habits through nutritionally adequate preparations. Consequently, it prevents obesity and malnutrition, favoring learning. This systematic review aimed at investigating the methods for evaluating the acceptance of school menus offered by school feeding programs (SFPs) around the world. [...] Read more.
The school meal promotes healthy eating habits through nutritionally adequate preparations. Consequently, it prevents obesity and malnutrition, favoring learning. This systematic review aimed at investigating the methods for evaluating the acceptance of school menus offered by school feeding programs (SFPs) around the world. Specific search strategies were conducted on PubMed, Lilacs, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, Google Scholar, and ProQuest Global. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Meta-Analysis Statistical Assessment and Review Instrument. A total of 89 studies were included. The countries with the highest number of studies were Brazil (n = 42), South Korea (n = 13), and the United States (n = 12). The most used methods (69.66%) were numerical scales, with a higher prevalence for the 5-point scale (50.56%). Other methods included questionnaires and/or interviews with objective and/or subjective questions (44.94%); and mathematical formulas and/or visual estimates evaluating the consumption of food and leftovers (40.45%). The prevalent use of the 5-point hedonic scale may be due to its low cost, simplicity, ease of elaboration, application speed, and student understanding. Mathematical formulas and/or visual estimation were used by about 40% of the studies, but it is difficult to compare studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Eating beyond an Individual Choice: Ways to Achieve Healthy and Sustainable Feeding)
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