ASSOCIATION BETWEEN BODY WEIGHT PERCEPTION AND QUALITY OF DIET IN BRAZILIAN ADOLESCENTS

To evaluate the association between body weight perception and quality of diet among Brazilian adolescents. The sample was composed of 71,740 adolescents aged from 12 to 17 years-old enrolled in the Study of Cardiovascular Risks in Adolescents (Estudo de Riscos Cardiovasculares em Adolescentes - ERICA), carried out during 2013-2014. Body weight perception was self-reported. Food consumption was assessed by food record and quality of diet index for Brazilian adolescents (DQIA-BR) was calculated, considering the balance, diversity, and diet composition. The quality of diet was compared according to weight perception for the entire sample and after stratification by nutritional status. Linear regression models were used to assess the association between body weight perception and quality of diet. Among the studied adolescents, 14.7 and 30.3% reported to be underweight or overweight in relation to their desired weight, respectively. Those who perceived themselves as overweight had lower quality of diet (DQIA-BR=16.0 vs. 17.4 points; p