Background. Evidence of the influence of the school food environment on adolescent diet is still little explored
in low- and middle-income countries. We aimed to evaluate the association between food environment in
schools and the immediate vicinity and the regular consumption of unhealthy food among adolescents.
Methods. We used cross-sectional data collected by the Brazilian National Survey of School Health (PeNSE)
from a representative sample of adolescents attending 9th grade public and private schools in Brazil, in 2012.
Weestimated students' regular consumption (N5 days/week) of unhealthy food (soft drinks, bagged salty snacks,
deep fried salty snacks and sweets) and school availability, in the cafeteria or an alternative outlet, of the same
food plus some healthy options (fruit and natural fruit juice). We performed multilevel logistic regression
models.
Results. Having a cafeteria inside school selling soft drinks (private schools OR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.14–1.33;
public schools OR = 1.13; 95% CI = 1.06–1.20) and deep fried salty snacks (private schools OR = 1.41 95%
CI = 1.26–1.57; public schools OR = 1.16 95% CI = 1.08–1.24) was associated with a higher consumption of
these unhealthy foods of among students. In private schools, cafeteria selling fruit and natural fruit juice was associated
with lower student consumption of bagged salty snacks (OR=0.86; 95% CI 0.77–0.96) and soft drinks
(OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.76–0.94). In addition, eating meals from the Brazilian School Food Program in public
schools was associated with a lower consumption of unhealthy foods.
Conclusions. Foods available in the school food environment are associated with the consumption of unhealthy
food among adolescents in Brazil.