ELANS Costa Rica

Latin American Nutrition and Health Study

Justification:
The global epidemic of obesity in all age groups in developed and developing countries raised the need for large-scale multicentre studies on diet/lifestyle factors. However, studies that combine nutrition and the evaluation of physical activity in representative samples of Latin American countries are scarce.

These studies are essential to substantially improve our knowledge about the complex relationship between energy imbalance, obesity, and chronic diseases associated with large-scale and wider geographic heterogeneity.

Assessing dietary intake is an arduous task. Food intake is a complex phenomenon and its evaluation with the available tools is subject to errors inherent in the instruments themselves, as well as the interviewee and the interviewer. These errors, defined as systematic and random, must be known and controlled in order to generate more accurate and powerful data to reveal the risks associated with eating patterns.

Background:

ELANS is a cross-sectional, nutrition and health study of a nationally representative sample of urban populations in eight countries in Latin America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela). A standard study protocol was designed to assess the nutritional intake, physical activity levels, and anthropometric measurements of 9,000 registered participants. The study was based on complex and multistage sample design and the sample was stratified by sex, age (15 to 65 years), and socioeconomic level.

In the case of Costa Rica, a database with information about 798 people was built. Information is available on: nutritional status, socio-economic level, consumption of food, beverages and water, energy and nutrient intake, as well as other substances contained in food; among others.

General objective:

Develop new analyzes for Costa Rica based on the ELANS database and promote the dissemination of this information through scientific articles and other forms of communication.

Specific objectives:

  • Establish the consumption of sugar and low-calorie sweeteners (quantity and type) in CR according to nutritional status, age group, sex, and socio-economic level.
  • Identify the foods that are consumed during the snacks as well as their energy and nutritional contribution to the daily diet and its relationship with the level of physical activity.
  • Demonstrate the level of physical activity of the population studied according to their nutritional status, age group, sex, and socio-economic level.
  • Evaluate the level of consumption of pre-packaged products and ready-to-eat products that are part of the dietary pattern of CR, with respect to nutritional status, age group, gender, and socio-economic level.
  • Establish Micronutrient Intake: Folic acid, Zinc, Vitamins A, D, and E, according to nutritional status, age group, sex, and socio-economic level.
  • Present the micronutrient analysis provided by the mandatory fortification and those provided by the industry in a non-mandatory manner.
  • Establish the pattern of consumption of dairy products according to the time of food nutritional status, age group, sex, and socio-economic level.
  • Determine the level of exposure to chemical risk in basic grains, vegetables, fruits, and fresh fruits not processed based on the food consumption of the Costa Rican population and according to their age and nutritional status.
  • Determine the pattern of food consumption of the Costa Rican population according to their nutritional status, age group, and socio-economic level.

Researchers:

Main: Dr. Georgina Gómez Salas, Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Costa Rica. Co-Chair of ELANS

Assistants:

Dr. Andrea Ramírez Sanabria, Nutritionist.
Dr. Daniela Guevara Villalobos, Nutritionist.
Dr. Fiorella Piedra León, Nutritionist.
Dr. Amed Sheik Oreamuno, Nutritionist.
Dr. Juan Carlos Brenes Sáenz, Statistician.

Start of the project: September 2017.

Progress in the project:

From October 15 to 20, 2017, the XXI International Nutrition Congress was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where Dr. Georgina Gómez and the other principal investigators of the ELANS project had the opportunity to share with the attendees, Some of the results obtained for the 8 countries involved in the investigation.

During this session, Dr. Gómez conducted a presentation called “Nutritional Guidance in the Era of Globalized Markets,” which you can review here.

If you want to know the other presentations of this session, you can do it here.


From November 6 to 10, 2017, the National Week of Food Safety organized by the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Commerce (MEIC) was held for the first time in Costa Rica in order to promote good hygiene practices. the food.

Professor Georgina Gómez had the opportunity to present the results of the research called “Determination of the exposure to agrochemicals in the food of the GAM of Costa Rica”, in collaboration with engineer Ing. Ivannia Morera, State Phytosanitary Service.

The presentations were made in the opening ceremony of the activity in the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and in the current reality seminar, challenges, and opportunities in Food Safety for Costa Rica, organized by the Ministry of Health and brought to at the Costa Rican Institute of Research and Education in Nutrition and Health (INCIENSA)


On January 23, 2018, at the Annual Meeting of ILSI in Southampton, Bermuda held the scientific session Science Serving Society where Professor Georgina Gómez and Professor Mauro Fisberg had the opportunity to present some of the results obtained for the 8 countries involved in the ELANS investigation.

To learn more about this presentation, you can do it here.

The video of the presentation can see it here.


On February 6, at the scientific session of the Ordinary General Assembly of ILSI Mesoamerica, Professor Georgina Gómez presented the progress of the ELANS Costa Rica Phase II project.

Here, for the first time, some of the data requested by the partners were observed and discussed. previous months when this project started.


On March 22, 2018, the publication in Nutrients magazine of one of the scientific articles prepared from the research carried out in the eight countries of Latin America will be carried out.

Here is the article called Total and Added Sugar Intake: Assessment in Eight Latin American Countries.


On May 4, 2018, Dr. Georgina Gómez, with the support of Lic. Dayana Quesada announced the results obtained in the analysis of the Consumption of Bread in the Costa Rican Urban Population.


On May 31, 2018, the publication in the journal Public Health Nutrition of another of the scientific articles produced from the research carried out in the eight countries of Latin America will be carried out.

The following is the study on Energy intake and food sources of eight Latin American countries: results from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS)


On July 15, a new publication in Nutrients magazine of a scientific article based on information from the ELANS is carried out.

For this occasion, we present the study called Diet Quality and Diet Diversity in Eight Latin American Countries: Results from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS)

 


In the month of July 2019, two new scientific articles with extremely interesting information about Costa Rican reality are published in the journal Acta Médica Costarricense.

Here we present the study on Consumption of added sugar in the urban Costa Rican population: Latin American study of nutrition and health ELANS-Costa Rica (Spanish version) and the study on the use of nutritional supplements in the urban Costa Rican population (Spanish version)


In the month of October 2019, a new scientific article with extremely interesting information about Costa Rican reality is published in the journal Acta Médica Costarricense.

Below we present the study on the Food habits of the urban Costa Rican population (Spanish version)

 

In addition, the article related to levels of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle in the 8 countries participating in the study is published in the European Journal of Sport Science.

Here is the study: Socio-demographic patterning of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviors in eight Latin American countries: findings from the ELANS study.


During the month of December 2019, two new scientific articles are published. The first of them is in the BMC Public Health Magazine and is related to the pattern of physical activity and sedentary lifestyle in Latin American countries. Here is the study: Original research Socio-demographic patterning of self-reported physical activity and sitting time in Latin American countries: findings from ELANS.

The second of the articles were published in the PLoS ONE Magazine and is related to the consumption of foods that are part of the main food groups.

Here is the study: Latin American consumption of major food groups: Results from the ELANS study.


During the month of January 2020, the publication in the Journal of Transport & Health of the research related to public and private transport was the most common form of displacement: active travel (walking or cycling).

Here is the study: Socio-demographic patterns of public, private, and active travel in Latin America: Cross-sectional findings from the ELANS study.


In June 2020, a new scientific article was published, this time in the scientific journal of the College of Nutrition Professionals of Costa Rica. The publication determined the index of diet diversity in a representative sample of the Costa Rican urban population.

Here is the article: Diet Diversity in Urban Costarican Populations: Results from Latinamerican Health and Nutrition Study

 

 


In the month of July 2020, the journal Nutrición Hospitalaria published an article related to the description of the anthropometric profile and the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the Costa Rican urban population according to sociodemographic characteristics and level of physical activity.

Next, we present the article: Anthropometric profile and prevalence of overweight and obesity in Costa Rican urban population (aged 20-65 years old) by sex group: results from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health

The magazine Population and Health in Mesoamerica (PSM) in its July edition presents the article related to the characterization of fruit and vegetable consumption, according to sociodemographic variables in the Costa Rican population and compliance with the WHO recommendation. Methodology: The data was obtained from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health (ELANS) -Costa Rica.

Here is the article: Fruits and vegetables intake among Costa Rican urban population: results from the Latin American Study of Nutrition and Health: ELANS-Costa Rica

On July 4, a new publication is published in the MDPI Nutrients magazine of a scientific article based on information from ELANS.

For this occasion, we present the study on Dietary diversity and micronutrient adequacy in women of childbearing age: results of the ELANS Study 

 

In the July edition of the Revista Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición the scientific article based on the intake of micronutrients for Costa Rica is detailed.

We present the article Micronutrients inadequacy in the urban population of Costa Rica

 


In October 2021, the article related to fiber consumption by Costa Ricans is published in the Medical magazine of the University of Costa Rica.

We present the article Dietary Fiber Consumption in the Costa Rican Urban Population