SOCIAL INEQUALITIES IN VITAMIN E CONSUMPTION: BRAZUCA NATAL STUDY

Abstract

The socioeconomic position of individuals influences their living and health conditions, including the quality of their diet. Therefore, the objective of the study was to compare the consumption of vitamin E in adults and the elderly, according to socioeconomic characteristics, and identify the main dietary sources of the micronutrient. This is a cross-sectional study, carried out in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, with a population over 20 years old, of both sexes. Socioeconomic and demographic conditions (gender, age, color/race, education, per capita income, and health district of residence) and dietary consumption of vitamin E were evaluated. The average age of the 399 individuals in the study was 55 years, of which 95.7% had low vitamin E intake. Vitamin E intake was lower in individuals over 40 years of age (p<0.001), in women (p<0.001), in those with a per capita income lower than the minimum wage (p<0.001) and in those with less education (p <0.001). Among the 20 foods that contributed the most to the total vitamin E in the diet, soybean oil (11.91%) provided the highest level of vitamin E ingested, followed by açaí pulp (8.18%) and red meat (7.94%), in addition to a relevant contribution from ultra-processed foods. This study observed a low consumption of vitamin E in the population studied, mainly in the less favored social classes, which encourages the development and improvement of public policies to promote adequate and healthy eating and guarantee access to foods of good nutritional quality.