Abstract

VIERCI, G et al. Frequency of alimentary habits linked to the risk of developing cancer in civil servants of Asuncion. Mem. Inst. Investig. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2013, vol.11, n.2, pp.55-64. ISSN 1812-9528.

Thirty five percent of cancer cases are associated with a bad diet. Studies performed in the region show a high frequency of bad alimentary habits. The alimentary behavior of the Paraguayan population has not been studied systematically yet, although it is well known that our population prefers red meats, barbecues and fried foods and eat relatively low amounts of fruits and vegetables. This study was developed to determine the frequency of alimentary habits associated to the risk of developing cancer in public servants and investigate the possible association between those habits and sex. This is a cross-sectional observational descriptive study that applied an alimentary questionnaire to interview 150 public servants between April and May 2010; subjects were randomly selected from those working at eight public offices previously chosen by convenience. The weekly and daily frequencies of consumption of different food categories were recorded and the subjects were grouped in levels according to the recommendations of international organizations. The sample was made up of 72% men with an average age 35 years. Fifty two percent of the respondents declared daily eating of vegetables, but only 9% reached the optimum level. The consumption of such foods was low or absent in 60% of the individuals, and 64% consumed red meats with very high frequency. In the analyzed sample, there was a high frequency of inappropriate alimentary habits and a low consumption of healthy food associated with cancer prevention, which reveals the necessity of implementing educative programs focused on this issue.

Keywords : alimentary habits; cancer; risk; prevention; antioxidants.

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