Total and whole grain intake in Latin America: findings from the multicenter cross-sectional Latin American Study of Health and Nutrition (ELANS)

Abstract

Purpose: Understanding whole-grain intake and its associated factors is essential to tackle the double burden of malnutrition faced by Latin American countries. This study aimed to characterize total and whole grain intake in Latin American countries and to investigate foods contributing to these intake in the region.

Methods: Data were obtained from the multicenter cross-sectional survey Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS), including 9128 participants residing in urban areas of eight Latin American countries. Data collection was performed via two household visits using a standardized questionnaire and two 24 h dietary recalls. Usual dietary intake of total grain foods and foods containing whole grains was estimated. The association between the intake of grain food groups and sociodemographic variables was investigated using multiple linear regression models with random intercepts.

Results: Mean intake of total grain foods and foods containing whole grains was 318.6 g/d and 14.7 g/d, respectively. Total grain foods were less consumed by participants at older ages (-9.8 g/d), and females (-9.9 g/d), and more consumed by those in the lowest socioeconomic category (24.8 g/d). Foods containing whole grains were more consumed by participants at older ages (3.3 g/d), and females (4.0 g/d), while those in the lowest socioeconomic category consumed 2.9 g/d less. Major contributors to energy provided from foods containing whole grains were oatmeal, masa harina, whole-wheat bread, corn chips, and wheat crackers.

Conclusion: The intake of grain foods represented a substantial part of the Latin American population's diet, but the intake of foods containing whole grains was extremely low in all assessed countries.

Keywords: Dietary intake; Epidemiology; Latin America; Multicenter study; Socioeconomic factors; Whole grain.

Fig. 1

Percent of total grain foods, grain foods containing whole grains and grain foods containing  > 50% whole grains in the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS) database according to country, 2015. Black solid line represents the proportion of foods containing whole grain in ELANS database. Black dashed line represents the proportion of foods containing  > 50% whole grain in ELANS database

Fig. 2

Intake of grain foods in Latin American countries according to whole grain content based on the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS), 2015. A Mean intake (g/2000 kcal/d), B Proportion foods containing whole grain and foods  > 50% whole grain to total grain foods. Black dashed line represents the recommended intake. Estimates obtained from linear regression models adjusted for age group, sex, socioeconomic level and study center (random effect)

Fig. 3

Sociodemographic variables associated with grain foods intake in Latin American countries based on the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS). y years, SEL socioeconomic level, vs versus. Letters indicate: a ELANS (n = 9218), b Argentina (n = 1266), c Brazil (n = 2000), d Chile (n = 879), e Colombia (n = 1230), f Costa Rica (n = 798), g Ecuador (n = 800), h Peru (n = 1113), (i) Venezuela (n = 1132). Error bars represent 95% confidence interval. Estimates obtained from linear regression models with random intercept for study center