Dietary intake as a cardiovascular risk factor in Costa Rican adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate Costa Rican adolescents' dietary intake as a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor.


METHODS
Dietary intake was determined using 3-day food records; nutrient content of fast foods prepared in school cafeteria was calculated by the weighted records.


RESULTS
Around 30% of adolescents exceed the American Heart Association dietary recommendation for total fat and saturated fat. About 50% reported a cholesterol intake higher than 100 mg/1000 kcal. On average, 45% of adolescents do not meet the dietary fiber recommendation of 10 g/1000 kcal, the 66% of the recommended daily allowance for vitamins E and B(6), or around 25% for folic acid. A higher proportion of urban adolescents do not satisfy the established dietary recommendation to prevent CVD.


CONCLUSIONS
To avoid further increases in the Costa Rican CVD mortality rate, it is necessary to develop primary prevention programs, oriented to modify adolescent's nutrition habits. Schools have the potential to carry out such programs, as at least 60% of all adolescents in Costa Rica are enrolled in high schools.
Monge-Rojas
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Costa Rican Institute for Research and Education on Nutrition and Health (INCIENSA), Ministry of Health, Tres Ríos, Costa Rica.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000453:epidemiology; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011736:Pyridoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012307:Risk Factors; D012964:Sodium / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage
D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D014810:Vitamin E; D012964:Sodium; D011736:Pyridoxine