Consumption of free sugars and dietary sources in the diet of university students according to socioeconomic and lifestyle factors

Objective To evaluate the consumption of free sugars and associated factors in the diet of university students entering full-time courses at a public university in Mato Grosso.Methods Cross-sectional study with students aged 16 to 26 years in the first semester of 2016, 2017, and 2018. Average sugar consumption was estimated using a 24-hour diet recall, evaluating the percentage of free sugars in total energy intake and the prevalence of consumption greater than 10.0% of total energy intake, according to socioeconomic and lifestyle variables, stratified by sex, and the foods that most contributed to its consumption.Results A total of 1,063 students were evaluated, the percentage of free sugars in the students' diet was on average 14.3% among men and 15.4% among women, with the prevalence of consumption above 10.0% also being higher among women (72.6 vs. 66.6%). There was a direct relationship between the participation of free sugars in the highest tertiles of energy intake, and the main food groups sources of sugar were desserts, juices, soft drinks, and coffee. There was a significant association between courses outside the health sciences, tobacco use, and unsatisfactory meal consumption profile with higher consumption of free sugars among women. Among men, sugar consumption was higher among those who were not overweight compared to those who were overweight.Conclusion The consumption of free sugars is high among university students, being associated with higher energy consumption, especially for sweetened beverages.