CORRELATION BETWEEN COVID-19 MORTALITY AND INDICATORS OF HEALTHY FOOD CONSUMPTION IN BRAZILIAN CAPITALS

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between the prevalence of food consumption frequency indicators and standardized mortality rates for COVID-19 in Brazilian capitals and the Federal District. This is an ecological study, with the units of analysis being the 26 Brazilian capitals and the Federal District. The food consumption indicators (recommended and regular consumption of fruits and vegetables; consumption of protective foods for non-communicable chronic diseases) were estimated by the 2019 Telephone Survey for Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases (VIGITEL). COVID-19 mortality rates were obtained from the SIVEP-Gripe system. To assess the correlation between standardized mortality rates for COVID-19 and dietary indicators of the Brazilian adult population, Pearson's correlation test was used. A negative correlation was observed between the prevalence of recommended fruit and vegetable consumption and the standardized mortality rate for COVID-19 (r = -0.507; p=0.006), as well as between the prevalence of regular fruit and vegetable consumption and the standardized mortality rate for COVID-19 (r = -0.461; p=0.015). This study indicated that, at the population level, there is an inverse relationship between COVID-19 mortality rates and the prevalence of recommended and regular fruit and vegetable consumption in Brazilian capital cities.