Abstract
RESUMO - É fundamental conhecer hábitos alimentares e nutricionais de uma população, para poder intervir na promoção da saúde da mesma. Com este estudo epidemiológico transversal representativo da população portuguesa adulta (dados da SPCNA), pretendeu-se conhecer o padrão nutricional de ingestão quer energética quer em macronutrientes. Por entrevista individualizada (domicílio), registaram-se dados sociodemográficos e avaliou-se a ingestão alimentar, por questionário, das 24 h anteriores. Assim, os portugueses ingerem em média: 2.056 kcal/dia, 19,1% de proteínas, 31,3% de gordura, 45,8% de hidratos de carbono e 3,8% de etanol. Estes dados serão válidos para intervenções adequadas na saúde pública portuguesa.;ABSTRACT - Gathering knowledge about food and nutritional habits of a population is of the utmost importance since dietary intervention positively impacts health outcomes across the life span. With this transversal epidemiologic study representative of the adult Portuguese population (data from SPCNA), we tried to know the nutritional intake pattern (energy and macronutrients) of the Portuguese population. In an domiciliary individualized interview sociodemographic data were registered and food intake was evaluated by the 24-hour recall method. Portuguese energy intake, is on average, 2056 kcal/day, distributed by 19.1% of protein, 45.8% of carbohydrates and 31.3% of total fat, and 3.8% of ethanol. These data will be important to Portuguese public health interventions.

Abstract

Abstract
Self-efficacy refers to the beliefs in the ability to organise and implement the action plans needed to achieve a certain result and the feeling of control over the behaviours and environment. It determines the initiation, maintenance and cessation of strategies or behaviours, being a good predictor of eating behaviour. Despite its potential in terms of research, prognosis and evaluation of interventions, we are unaware of instruments to assess global features of food self-efficacy validated for the Portuguese population. The aim of this work is to develop and validate a scale to assess general features of food self-efficacy ("Escala de Auto-Eficácia Alimentar Global"). We evaluated a sample of 276 higher education students, and the analysis was performed separately for the subsamples of females and males. The items were created through the adaptation of the six items of the self-efficacy subscale of the "Inventário Clínico de Auto-Conceito" (Serra, 1986). The analysis led to the maintenance of five of the six items initially considered. The scale shows an unifactorial structure, and the proportion of total variance explained by the principal components extracted is higher than 64%. It also shows good internal consistency, with values of Cronbach's alpha above 0.85. The study of relations with other measures showed evidence of its convergent and discriminant validities. The "Escala de Auto-Eficácia Alimentar Global" may prove to be an useful tool for the prognosis and the evaluation of interventions related to the change in eating habits.

Abstract
[Abstract]

Abstract
[Abstract]

Abstract
[Abstract]