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Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol. 24, No. 4, 286-293 (2005)
Published by the American College of Nutrition

Saturated and Cis- and Trans-Unsaturated Fatty Acids Intake in Rural and Urban Costa Rican Adolescents

Rafael Monge-Rojas, MS, Hannia Campos, PhD and Xinia Fernández Rojas, PhD

Costa Rican Institute for Research and Education on Nutrition and Health (INCIENSA), Ministry of Health, Tres Ríos (R.M.-R.)
Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, Centro Centroamericano de Población (H.C.)
School of Human Nutrition (X.F.R.), Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica

Address reprint requests to: Rafael Monge-Rojas, INCIENSA, Apartado 4-2250, Tres Ríos, Costa Rica. E-mail:rmonge{at}inciensa.sa.cr

Objective: The purpose of this study is to determine whether intake of saturated fatty acids and cis- and trans-unsaturated fatty acids is associated with an urban compared to a rural lifestyle, and whether these associations are responsible for differences in plasma lipid concentrations.

Methods: Two hundred seventy-five adolescents, aged 12 to 19 years, living in rural and urban areas of San José, Costa Rica, were included in the study. All participants completed three-day food records, provided a fasting blood sample, and carried out a modified Harvard Step Test.

Results: Compared to rural, urban adolescents reported higher intakes of energy-adjusted individual and total saturated fatty acids, total n-3, total n-6 (p < 0.05). Compared to rural, urban adolescents had higher intake of 18:1 (3.65 vs. 3.25, p = 0.0001) and 18:2 (0.62 vs. 0.80, p = 0.001) trans fatty acids, as well as lower intake of carbohydrate (p < 0.05). Palm shortening was the main source of saturated fat (32%), and partially hydrogenated soybean oil used for cooking was the main source of n-3 fatty acids (33%), n-6 fatty acids (33%) and trans fatty acids (34%). Compared to rural, urban adolescents had lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure and higher plasma HDL cholesterol concentration (44 vs. 40 mg/dL, p < 0.0001), but were more likely to be sedentary (68% vs. 57%, p < 0.0001). Among environmental factors, higher carbohydrate intake was a significant determinant of a lower HDL cholesterol (ß coeff = –1.45, p = 0.04), while lauric and myristic fatty acids correlated with increased LDL cholesterol (ß coeff = 3.6, 1.7, p < 0.05).

Conclusions:A diet containing less carbohydrate and less saturated fatty acids contributes to a more beneficial lipid profile in Costa Rican adolescents, but a trend towards high trans fatty acids intake, particularly in the urban area is worrisome given the well-known adverse effects of trans fatty acids.

Key words: adolescents, trans fatty acids, saturated fatty acids, rural vs. urban, dietary intake






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Copyright © 2005 by the American College of Nutrition.