Nutritional risk and dietary patterns in an overweight Angolanpopulation in a context of nutritional transition

Jaime Azpiazu Saiz

Resumen:

Angola is undergoing an accelerated nutrition tran-sition marked by the abandonment of traditional dietary pat-terns, the loss of cultural food practices, and persistent food insecurity, alongside an increase in diet-related noncommu-nicable diseases. This study described and compared dietary patterns in an Angolan population across three educational levels and analyzed their implications within the context of the nutrition transition in Sub-Saharan Africa. An observa-tional, descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 1,400 participants from Kuito, Bié Province, and Aldeia Nis-si, ranging from primary school to university level. Validated questionnaires were administered to assess food-group con-sumption, dietary diversity, intake of ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, physical activity, and nutri-tional knowledge. The results revealed a high dependence on maize and other cereal-derived carbohydrates. Fruit and veg-etable consumption decreased from 67.5% in primary school to 40.4% in secondary school and 22% at university level. In contrast, the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverag-es and ultra-processed foods increased, particularly among university students. A high frequency of gastritis and a de-cline in physical activity were also observed. These findings demonstrate a progressive deterioration in dietary habits and support the development of nutrition programs and national public health policies in Angola.