Diet quality in Brazilian adolescents with cystic fibrosis.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the quality of the diet and its relationship with lung function and nutritional status in adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF).

METHODS

A questionnaire was applied to 47 adolescents (12-19 years old) followed at a university reference center. Lung function impairment was classified as mild (FEV1pp ≥ 60%), moderate (FEV1pp 41-59%), or severe (FEV1pp < 40%) using spirometry. Food consumption frequency was classified as rarely, 1-2 times/week, 3-4 times/week, or ≥ 5 times/week. Linear regression analysis was used to model the relationship between lung function, BMI/age Z-score, and food frequency. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to identify patterns of diet quality.

RESULTS

The mean BMI/age Z-score was -0.62. Approximately 60% of adolescents had FEV1 ≥ 60%, and 21% had severe impairment (FEV1 < 40%). Better BMI/age Z-score was observed in groups with higher consumption frequencies of vegetables and fruit (≥ 5/week), white meat (> 3-4/week), and oil (> 3-4/week). Linear regression models identified significant relationships: BMI/age Z-Score = -3.25+ 0.8182*meat_b+0.5082*vegetables_fruit (p < 0.001): Increased white meat, fruit, and vegetable consumption positively influenced the BMI/age Z-Score; lung function = 0.6927 + 0.3356*vegetables-0.2406*fruit_vegetables-0.4550*fast_food (p < 0.001): Lower consumption of fruit and vegetables and higher fast-food intake were associated with more severe lung function; and lung function = 0.39376 -0.32345 *ZSCORE (p < 0.0001): The BMI/age Z-Score positively influenced lung function. PCA confirmed the positive relationship between fruit, vegetables, and white meat consumption and BMI/age Z-score.

CONCLUSION

Higher consumption of fruit, vegetables, and meat has a positive influence on the BMI/age Z-score and lung function among adolescents with CF.