Disparity in meat consumption: An obstacle to achieving the golden rule of the Brazilian Dietary Guidelines?

Objective: To investigate disparities in meat consumption in Brazil and analyze its relationship with the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study using secondary data from the 2019 National Health Survey. Red meat consumption (in days) was estimated according to socioeconomic and demographic data. Odds ratios (OR) were estimated using multinomial logistic regression, and the association between meat consumption and fruit and vegetable intake was assessed by means of Poisson regression.

Results: Of a total of 83,085 Brazilians participating in the study, 29.2% reported consuming meat 5-7 times per week. Sociodemographic and economic factors revealed a lower likelihood of consuming meat 5-7 days/week among women [OR 0.50, 95%CI 0.46; 0.53), older adults (OR 0.48, 95%CI 0.37; 0.63) and residents of the Northeast region of the country (OR 0.72, 95%CI 0.66; 0.79). After adjustments, red meat consumption was directly associated (p-value<0.001) with vegetable intake (0.04) and inversely associated with fruit intake (-0.04).

Conclusion: Meat consumption is unequal among Brazilians and may have an impact on the consumption of fresh foods, such as fruits.