Unhealthy Food Consumption Is Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 in Brazilian Elderly People

<b>Background/Objectives</b>: The factors associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) are not yet fully understood in developing countries. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between food consumption and the occurrence of PASC in Brazilian elderly people. <b&...

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Main Authors: Guilherme José Silva Ribeiro, Rafaela Nogueira Gomes de Morais, Olufemi Gabriel Abimbola, Nalva de Paula Dias, Mariana De Santis Filgueiras, André de Araújo Pinto, Juliana Farias de Novaes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Infectious Disease Reports
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/17/2/25
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author Guilherme José Silva Ribeiro
Rafaela Nogueira Gomes de Morais
Olufemi Gabriel Abimbola
Nalva de Paula Dias
Mariana De Santis Filgueiras
André de Araújo Pinto
Juliana Farias de Novaes
author_facet Guilherme José Silva Ribeiro
Rafaela Nogueira Gomes de Morais
Olufemi Gabriel Abimbola
Nalva de Paula Dias
Mariana De Santis Filgueiras
André de Araújo Pinto
Juliana Farias de Novaes
author_sort Guilherme José Silva Ribeiro
collection DOAJ
description <b>Background/Objectives</b>: The factors associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) are not yet fully understood in developing countries. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between food consumption and the occurrence of PASC in Brazilian elderly people. <b>Methods</b>: This cross-sectional study included 1322 elderly people aged 60 or over, infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, living in the state of Roraima in Brazil. Using the Brazilian National Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN, in Portuguese) tool, food consumption markers were evaluated. The persistence of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 was assessed three months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Poisson regression with robust variance was performed to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). <b>Results</b>: Fruit consumption [PR 0.92; 95% CI: 0.85–0.99] was associated with a lower occurrence of PASC, with a significant interaction in individuals aged 60 to 69 years old, not hospitalized, and those without chronic kidney disease. In addition, the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages [PR 1.23; 95% CI: 1.12–1.35], sandwich cookies, sweets, and treats [PR 1.12; 95% CI 1.03–1.22] was positively associated with the occurrence of PASC in the elderly people, with a significant interaction in individuals living in the capital and without hypercholesterolemia. <b>Conclusions</b>: Unhealthy food consumption was associated with PASC in Brazilian elderly people. An improvement in the diet quality of elderly people is necessary to minimize health complications in PASC.
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spelling doaj-art-a591ec33beda4ae8947f6ce9f5cc7d1d2025-08-20T02:28:36ZengMDPI AGInfectious Disease Reports2036-74492025-03-011722510.3390/idr17020025Unhealthy Food Consumption Is Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 in Brazilian Elderly PeopleGuilherme José Silva Ribeiro0Rafaela Nogueira Gomes de Morais1Olufemi Gabriel Abimbola2Nalva de Paula Dias3Mariana De Santis Filgueiras4André de Araújo Pinto5Juliana Farias de Novaes6Department of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilHealth Sciences Center, Universidade Estadual de Roraima (UERR), Boa Vista 69306-530, RR, BrazilDepartment of Nutrition and Health, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil<b>Background/Objectives</b>: The factors associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) are not yet fully understood in developing countries. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between food consumption and the occurrence of PASC in Brazilian elderly people. <b>Methods</b>: This cross-sectional study included 1322 elderly people aged 60 or over, infected with SARS-CoV-2 in 2020, living in the state of Roraima in Brazil. Using the Brazilian National Food and Nutrition Surveillance System (SISVAN, in Portuguese) tool, food consumption markers were evaluated. The persistence of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 was assessed three months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Poisson regression with robust variance was performed to estimate the prevalence ratio (PR) with a 95% confidence interval (95% CI). <b>Results</b>: Fruit consumption [PR 0.92; 95% CI: 0.85–0.99] was associated with a lower occurrence of PASC, with a significant interaction in individuals aged 60 to 69 years old, not hospitalized, and those without chronic kidney disease. In addition, the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages [PR 1.23; 95% CI: 1.12–1.35], sandwich cookies, sweets, and treats [PR 1.12; 95% CI 1.03–1.22] was positively associated with the occurrence of PASC in the elderly people, with a significant interaction in individuals living in the capital and without hypercholesterolemia. <b>Conclusions</b>: Unhealthy food consumption was associated with PASC in Brazilian elderly people. An improvement in the diet quality of elderly people is necessary to minimize health complications in PASC.https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/17/2/25elderlyfood consumptionLong COVIDnutritional epidemiologyinfection
spellingShingle Guilherme José Silva Ribeiro
Rafaela Nogueira Gomes de Morais
Olufemi Gabriel Abimbola
Nalva de Paula Dias
Mariana De Santis Filgueiras
André de Araújo Pinto
Juliana Farias de Novaes
Unhealthy Food Consumption Is Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 in Brazilian Elderly People
Infectious Disease Reports
elderly
food consumption
Long COVID
nutritional epidemiology
infection
title Unhealthy Food Consumption Is Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 in Brazilian Elderly People
title_full Unhealthy Food Consumption Is Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 in Brazilian Elderly People
title_fullStr Unhealthy Food Consumption Is Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 in Brazilian Elderly People
title_full_unstemmed Unhealthy Food Consumption Is Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 in Brazilian Elderly People
title_short Unhealthy Food Consumption Is Associated with Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 in Brazilian Elderly People
title_sort unhealthy food consumption is associated with post acute sequelae of covid 19 in brazilian elderly people
topic elderly
food consumption
Long COVID
nutritional epidemiology
infection
url https://www.mdpi.com/2036-7449/17/2/25
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