Analysis of health indicators among Brazilian schoolchildren using PeNSE data (2009–2019)

The present study aimed to comparatively analyze health indicators among Brazilian 9th-grade students based on microdata from the National School Health Survey (PeNSE) for the years 2009 and 2019. This is a quantitative, cross-sectional study with a sample of 63,411 students in 2009 and 160,721 in 2019. Variables related to dietary intake, family arrangement, mobile phone use, and maternal education were evaluated. A significant increase was observed in mobile phone ownership (from 73.7% to 86.7%) and in the habit of consuming meals concomitantly with other activities (from 62.2% to 77.5%), a behavior that may be associated with distraction and reduced attention to satiety during meals. An improvement in maternal educational level was identified, along with an increase in the proportion of adolescents living only with their mother (from 31.0% to 37.6%). Conversely, a reduction was observed in the consumption of fruits (from 31.2% to 28.4%), vegetables (from 30.9% to 29.7%), beans (from 61.8% to 53.9%), sweets/confectionery (from 50.3% to 36.2%), and soft drinks (from 36.8% to 19.1%). These findings indicate changes in dietary patterns, characterized by reduced consumption of traditional foods and the persistence of practices associated with the media and digital environment. It is concluded that, despite the reduction in specific ultra-processed foods, dietary behaviors remain influenced by socioeconomic and cultural factors, requiring intersectoral public policies to promote healthy eating and strengthen the actions of the National School Feeding Program (PNAE) and the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population.