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OBJETIVO: Determinar a porcentagem de consumidores que consultam a declaração nutricional nos rótulos dos alimentos e a associação entre essa consulta e variáveis sociodemográficas; e identificar sugestões dos consumidores para que a declaração nutricional seja mais eficaz como instrumento de informação. MÉTODOS: Neste estudo transversal realizado em 2008, 368 adultos foram entrevistados na Cidade de Natal, Brasil, selecionados aleatoriamente em 23 supermercados. Os dados foram obtidos a partir de um questionário semiestruturado, composto de oito perguntas fechadas e 10 questões abertas. RESULTADOS: A média de idade dos participantes foi de 40,99 anos (± 13,58). Dos entrevistados, 94,6% consultavam os rótulos e 96,8% consideravam a declaração nutricional importante e muito importante, mas somente 3,8% declararam que compreendiam totalmente a declaração nutricional. A verificação da declaração nutricional com a finalidade de fazer escolhas alimentares mais saudáveis (35.7%) associou-se de forma significativa com o nível de escolaridade e a renda familiar (P < 0,0001). As medidas sugeridas para que a declaração nutricional seja melhor compreendida e utilizada foram principalmente orientação sobre a declaração nutricional realizada por profissionais qualificados nos supermercados (73,9%) e divulgação na mídia sobre o que é a informação nutricional, sua importância e finalidade (42,9%). CONCLUSÕES: Os consumidores utilizavam a declaração nutricional para orientação nutricional, especialmente na presença de renda e escolaridade mais elevadas. Entretanto, fica evidente a necessidade de melhorar os rótulos e promover mais oportunidades para a aprendizagem sobre as características nutricionais dos produtos industrializados.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the percentage of consumers who read nutrition labels and the association between reading the labels and sociodemographic variables, and to identify suggestions from consumers to make nutrition labels more effective as a source of information. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study carried out in 2008, 368 adults randomly selected from 23 supermarkets in the city of Natal, Brazil, were interviewed. Data were obtained through a semistructured questionnaire including eight closed questions and 10 open questions. RESULTS: The mean age of participants was 40.99 years (± 13.58). The interviews showed that 94.6% of the participants read the nutrition labels and that 96.8% considered the labels important or very important; however, only 3.8% stated that they fully understand the labels. There was a significant association between being motivated to read food labels to make healthier choices (35.7%) and higher family income and schooling (P < 0.0001). The measures mentioned by study participants to increase readability and usage included having qualified professionals provide guidance concerning the labels in supermarkets (73.9%) and disseminating through the media information on food labels, what they are, why they are important, and their role (42.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Consumers did use the labels for nutritional guidance, especially those with higher income and schooling. However, the need to improve the labels was evident, as was the importance of providing opportunities for consumers to learn about the nutritional characteristics of food products.

The influence of different Trypanosoma cruzi biodemes on the evolution of the infection and on the histopathological lesions of the heart and skeletal muscles, during the experimental infection of Calomys callosus, was investigated. Three groups of C. callosus were infected, respectively, with parasite strains representative of three different Biodemes: Type I (Y strain), Type II (21 SF strain), and Type III (Colombian strain). For each group, normal C. callosus were also used as controls. Marked differences have been detected in the responses of C. callosus to the infection with the three strains in this model. The strains Types I and II (Y and 21 SF) determined moderate lesions, mostly in the myocardium, with low parasitism, a rapid course, and total regression of the lesions by the 60th day of infection. Differently, Type III strain (Colombian), was more pathogenic for C. callosus and induced necrotic-inflammatory lesions in skeletal muscles and myocardium, in correspondence to intracellular parasitism. Proliferation of fibroblasts and amorphous matrix deposits, followed by interstitial fibrosis were present. Progressive regression of the inflammatory changes and collagen deposits occurred spontaneously. The progression and regression of both inflammation and fibrosis induced by the Colombian strain were further submitted to quantitative evaluation by morphometry. Results of the morphometric studies presented good correlation with the histopathological findings. The results confirm the importance of the different biodemes in the determination of tissue lesions and the peculiarities of response of C. callosus to infection with T. cruzi.

Index code	Element
ti	article title
au	author
kw	article keywords
subject	subject (title words, abstract and keywords)
ab	abstract
ta	journal short title (e.g. Cad. Saúde Pública)
journal_title	journal full title (e.g. Cadernos de Saúde Pública)
la	publication language code (e.g. pt - Portuguese, es - Spanish)
type	document type
pid	publication identifier
publication_year	publication year of publication
sponsor	sponsor
aff_country	country code of the author's affiliation
aff_institution	author affiliation institution
volume	article volume
issue	article issue
elocation	elocation
doi	DOI number
issn	journal ISSN
in	SciELO colection code (e.g. scl - Brasil, col - Colômbia)
use_license	article usage license code

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