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Taste sensitivity, food preferences, and physical activity pattern associated with nutritional status of adolescents
Author(s) -
Santos Marize Melo dos,
Marreiros Camila Santos,
Oliveira Ana Raquel Soares,
Freitas Suelem Torres,
Cruz Kyria Jayanne Clímaco
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of sensory studies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.61
H-Index - 53
eISSN - 1745-459X
pISSN - 0887-8250
DOI - 10.1111/joss.12491
Subject(s) - taste , overweight , body mass index , preference , psychology , food choice , food preference , physical activity , physical activity level , intervention (counseling) , environmental health , medicine , food science , physical therapy , biology , microeconomics , economics , pathology , neuroscience , psychiatry
The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of taste sensitivity, food preferences, and pattern of physical activity on the nutritional status of public school adolescents. A cross‐sectional study was carried out involving 952 adolescents of both genders and aged 10–19 years, divided into two groups: overweight, n = 238 and eutrophic, n = 714. Taste sensitivity, food preferences, physical activity pattern, and nutritional status were evaluated. Most adolescents failed in the sensitivity test. There was a significant association between sensitivity to salty taste and preference for evaluated tastes and nutritional status. It was verified that adolescents devote, on average, 6 hr a day with sedentary activities. Age and time spent exercising were positively associated with body mass index. Adolescents presented low taste sensitivity and prefer sweet taste while overweight individuals prefer salty. The study reveals the influence of parameters related to food preferences and physical activity patterns on the nutritional status of the youth. Practical applications Changes in sensitivity taste, dietary preferences, and in the pattern of physical activity influence the nutritional status of young. Understanding these relationships may contribute to the development of intervention strategies to prevent the onset or worsening of diseases associated with nutritional status.