RESUMEN
Resumo Objetivou-se avaliar o consumo alimentar de escolares conforme o tipo de alimentação consumida em escolas de zona rural. Trata-se de um estudo transversal realizado com adolescentes de 12 escolas públicas rurais de Canguçu/RS. A investigação está vinculada à intervenção "Educação Física +: Praticando Saúde na Escola". O consumo alimentar foi avaliado pelos marcadores do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional. A variável independente principal foi o tipo de alimentação consumida (trazida de casa, fornecida gratuitamente e/ou comprada na escola). Foi utilizada a estatística descritiva e o teste de Qui-quadrado com nível de significância de p < 0,05. Participaram do estudo 526 escolares, 51,3% do sexo feminino e 88,0% que consumiram a alimentação gratuita. Entre 15-31% dos adolescentes consumiram mais de três dias na semana anterior alimentos considerados não saudáveis. Os escolares que relataram levar lanche de casa para a escola consumiram com maior frequência salada crua, frutas frescas ou salada de frutas, bolachas/biscoitos salgados e salgadinhos de pacote e refrigerante. Concluiu-se que o consumo de alimentos saudáveis entre os escolares da zona rural foi baixo e intervenções são necessárias a fim de melhorar o quadro atual de práticas inadequadas de alimentação.
Abstract The scope of the article was to evaluate food consumption according to the type of food consumed in rural schools. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among adolescents enrolled in 12 rural public schools in Canguçu in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The research was linked to the intervention named "Physical Education +: Practicing Health in School." Dietary intake was evaluated using consumption markers from the Brazilian Food and Nutrition Surveillance System. The main independent variable was the type of food consumed at school (brought from home, provided by the school free of charge and/or purchased at school). Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used and the significance level was p<0.05. The study enlisted 526 students, 51.3% female and 88.0% consuming food free of charge. From 15% to 31% of adolescents consumed foods considered unhealthy for more than three days in the preceding week. Students who reported taking a snack to school consumed raw salad, fresh fruit or fruit salad, biscuits/crackers and packet snacks and soft drinks more frequently. It was concluded that the consumption of healthy foods among schoolchildren in rural areas was low and interventions are needed to improve the current situation of inadequate feeding practices.