European Journal of Clinical Nutrition https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-019-0454-5 ARTICLE Epidemiology Food consumption and its association with leisure-time physical activity and active commuting in Brazilian workers Jaqueline Aragoni da Silva 1 ● Kelly Samara da Silva 2 ● Thiago Sousa Matias 3 ● Danielle Biazzi Leal 4 ● Elusa Santina Antunes de Oliveira 5 ● Markus Vinicius Nahas 6 © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited 2019 Abstract Background/objectives An in-depth understanding of the relationship between food consumption and physical activity is relevant since these behaviours could influence each other, while both have an effect on obesity and chronic diseases. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of various combinations of food consumption (fruits, vegetables, sweets and snacks) on the associations with PA domains (leisure and commute) among Brazilian industrial workers. Subjects/methods This is part of a cross-sectional national survey developed in Brazil using data from the “Lifestyle and Leisure Habits of Industrial Workers” project. A total of 52,774 workers (response rate: 90.6%) responded to a validated questionnaire about the frequency of their consumption of fruit, vegetables, sweets and snacks, their practice of LTPA and active commuting. The answers were analysed by multilevel regression, controlled by sociodemographic behaviour and the presence of hypertension, diabetes and overweight. Results Workers with a simultaneously adequate consumption of fruit, vegetables, sweets and snacks were 2.29 (1.74; 2.99 p-value < 0.001) more likely to perform LTPA. In the full model, there was no association among any of the combinations of food consumption and active commuting. Conclusion A better food consumption behaviour was reported among workers who practiced leisure physical activity when compared to those who did not. Introduction Effective physical activity (PA) changes hinge on altering multiple behaviours [1–3]. Considering the significant link between PA, food habits and health outcomes [1, 4, 5], some studies have pointed to the importance of acquiring a better understanding of food consumption habits. In the current lifestyle, an excessive time spent in sedentary behaviours and a poor diet contribute to a multi- behavioural morbidity, in which a co-occurrence of beha- vioural pathogens is characterised as risk behaviour bund- ling [6]. For instance, poor diet and lack of PA have been identified as central risk factors for obesity [2] and coronary diseases in adults [7]. In this context, the need to investigate food consumption and PA appears to be essential in the workers’ population [1, 8]. A recent study demonstrated a trend of increasing phy- sical inactivity in different domains of PA, reaching more than 70% of active commuting among industrial workers from Brazil. In the same population, a high prevalence of overweight was observed, which in turn was associated with * Jaqueline Aragoni da Silva jaqui_aragoni@hotmail.com 1 Department of Physical Education, Research Center in Physical Activity and Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil 2 Department of Physical Education, Research Center in Physical Activity and Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil 3 Department of Physical Education, Research Center in Physical Activity and Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil 4 Industry Federation of Santa Catarina, Industrial Intelligence Analyst, Florianópolis, Brazil 5 Florianópolis, Brazil 6 Research Center in Physical Activity and Health, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil 1234567890();,: 1234567890();,: