[ASSOCIATION BETWEEN STEVIA SWEETENER CONSUMPTION AND NUTRITIONAL STATUS IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS].
BACKGROUND
stevia consumption has increased worlwide among the different age groups; however, studies regarding the association between stevia intake and nutritional status in adults are scarce.


OBJECTIVE
to evaluate stevia intake in first year university students from five chilean cities (Santiago, Temuco, Viña del Mar, Concepción and Antofagasta) controlling by nutritional status, socioeconomic level, gender and whether their undergraduate program belongs to the health sciences.


METHODS
486 first year university students belonging to 4 Chilean universities were evaluated. Each student completed a weekly food frequency questionnaire including food and beverages containing stevia. Selfreport of weight and height was requested.


RESULTS
69.8% of the students consumed stevia every week, the liquid form being the main contributor to the dietary stevia intake (81.2%). Only 1.4% of the students went over the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI). Normal weight women show a higher stevia intake compared to those obese or overweight (p < 0.05). Finally, stevia consumption appears to be positively associated to normal weight in the first model (adjusted) (OR = 0.219; IC 95%: 0.13-0.35; p < 0.05) and second model (OR = 0.21; IC 95%: 0.13-0.35; p < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
stevia consumption was positively associated with normal nutritional status in Chilean university students.
Nta. Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética. Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud. Universidad San Sebastián.. sduran74@gmail.com.
Samuel
S
Durán Agüero
Nta. Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética. Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, sede Viña del Mar.. sduran74@gmail.com.
Alejandra
A
Vásquez Leiva
Nta. Departamento de Salud Pública. Facultad de Medicina. Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco.. sduran74@gmail.com.
Gladys
G
Morales Illanes
Nta. Departamento de Salud Pública. Facultad de Medicina. Universidad de La Frontera, Temuco.. sduran74@gmail.com.
Ingrid
I
Schifferli Castro
Nta. Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética. Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomas, sede Concepción.. sduran74@gmail.com.
Claudia
C
Sanhueza Espinoza
Nta. Escuela de Nutrición y Dietética. Facultad de Salud, Universidad Santo Tomás, sede Viña del Mar.. sduran74@gmail.com.
Claudia
C
Encina Vega
Nta. Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Depto de Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Antofagasta. Chile.. sduran74@gmail.com.
Karla
K
Vivanco Cuevas
Nta. Carrera de Nutrición y Dietética, Depto de Nutrición, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Antofagasta. Chile.. sduran74@gmail.com.
Rodrigo
R
Mena Bolvaran
D000328:Adult; D001827:Body Height; D001835:Body Weight; D002677:Chile; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D016017:Odds Ratio; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D036625:Stevia; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013549:Sweetening Agents; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
D013549:Sweetening Agents