NUTRITIONAL PROFILE AND EATING BEHAVIOR OF ADULT PUBLIC SERVANTS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CUIABÁ

Abstract

Introduction: Eating behavior involves several variables that define and influence it. It is also related to socioeconomic factors, which are relevant in food choices and access to food. A diet based on products high in calories, simple carbohydrates and fat interferes with the health of the individual who adopts it and can lead to the development of obesity and chronic diseases. A civil servant is a person who has a certain purchasing power and financial stability, these factors can influence their food choices. Knowing the eating behavior and nutritional status of a group or individual is essential for educational measures to be planned, applied and collaborate with an improvement in the quality of life of individuals. Objective: To analyze the eating behavior of adult public servants and their respective nutritional statuses. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the city of Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil, with 174 adult public servants aged 20 to 59 years of both sexes. The instrument used for data collection was an adapted questionnaire with 29 questions, made possible through the electronic platform Google Forms, it is divided into two parts, the first with 7 questions in order to characterize general information and the second part, with 22 questions of investigative focus on the aspects of eating behavior,  through the Intuitive eating scale -2 (IES-2), developed by Tylka and Kroon van Diest (2013). These data were tabulated through the electronic platform Google Forms. Results: A total of 174 civil servants participated in the research, 60.3% female and 39.7% male. Regarding male individuals, 1.4% had a nutritional status of malnutrition, 23.2% normal weight, 60.9% overweight and 14.5% obesity. On the other hand, 1.0% of the female participants had a nutritional status of malnutrition, 61% normal weight, 22.9% overweight and 15.2% obesity. Conclusion: This study investigated the eating behavior of public servants with different nutritional statuses. The results indicated that, in relation to nutritional status, most individuals were overweight or obese. It was also observed that among the individuals who had a nutritional state of normal weight, there was an eating behavior motivated by physical rather than emotional reasons and, in relation to the age group of these participants, the older ones presented an eating behavior even more motivated by physical reasons. Nutritional education and a good financial condition positively influence food choices, contributing to the maintenance of the nutritional status of normal health.