P2-270 Habit of removing visible fat from meats by adults and elderly: a population-based study in southern Brazil

IntroductionInternational and Brazilian Health Agencies point to healthy eating as an important aspect of life quality and several studies have shown that a diet rich in fat increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. In this context, we aimed to describe the prevalence of the habit of removing visible fat from meats before consumption according to socio-demographic characteristics in adult and elderly.MethodsCross-sectional population-based study with 2706 individuals aged 20 years or more living in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The habit of removing visible fat from meats before eating it, defined as trimming apparent fat red meats and poultry skin, was assessed through interview reporting meat consumption considering a 12 months recall period. The socio-demographic variables were gender, skin colour, age, education and family income in tertiles.ResultsApproximately 58% of interviewees were women, 81% Caucasians and about 50% reported nine or more years of study. The prevalence of the habit of removing visible fat from meats before consumption was 48% (95% CI: 45.2 to 50.2%), higher among women (71%). This habit was more frequent among the Caucasians respondents (83%), aged 60 years or older (29%), who studied for nine to eleven years (30%) and belonging to the highest tertile income (37%).ConclusionThe men and individuals with lower family income and education presented the smaller prevalence of the habit of removing visible fat from meats before consumption. These results can guide public policy health for promoting strategies in this group.