Interaction between perception and body satisfaction and adolescents’ food consumption: analysis of PeNSE 2019

Abstract Objective To evaluate the interaction between body perception and body image satisfaction on dietary intake among Brazilian adolescents. Methods Dietary intake was assessed based on the weekly frequency of consumption, classified as healthy (beans, fruits, and vegetables) or unhealthy (soft drinks, sweets, and meals eaten outside the home), and categorized as regular (≥ 5 days/week) or irregular (0–4 days/week). Body perception was grouped into three categories (very thin/thin, normal, and very overweight/overweight), and body satisfaction into two (satisfied and dissatisfied), both obtained through self-report. An interaction analysis was performed to estimate the associations between body perception, body satisfaction, and dietary intake. Results A total of 106,447 students were evaluated. In the interaction analysis, adolescents with normal body perception but dissatisfied with their image had higher odds of irregular consumption of healthy foods (OR = 1.4; 95% CI:1.1–1.7), as did those who were very thin (OR = 1.7; 95% CI:1.4–2.0) or overweight (OR = 1.6; 95% CI:1.4–1.8). Very thin and dissatisfied adolescents also showed higher odds of irregular consumption of unhealthy foods (OR = 1.6; 95% CI:1.0–2.0). Conclusion Dissatisfied adolescents, even those perceiving themselves as normal or underweight, exhibited less healthy dietary habits, with lower consumption of whole foods and higher intake of ultra-processed foods.