Association of Ultra-Processed Foods Consumption with Health Outcomes in Nutrition Students: A Post-COVID-19 Analysis

Abstract

The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) has been associated with increased disease risk. The COVID-19 pandemic affected eating practices, favoring university students' consumption of these foods. Nutrition students could have been less influenced. Therefore, we evaluated associations between the consumption of UPF items and markers of health status in nutrition students one year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a cross-sectional study with nutrition students from a public university. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, physical activity, sleep quality, eating practices, and body image data were collected through a self-answered questionnaire using an online platform. Food items consumed on the previous day were obtained through individual interviews on two days of the same week. They were classified according to the NOVA classification. Almost 50% of the foods reported were in-natura/minimally processed (37 items out of 80); 40% of the participants consumed less than half of these food items. Almost 15% of all food items were UPF, and the number of food items in more than 85% was up to 4.5. The consumption was higher in students with poor eating practices and overweighted males, younger and under the first half of the major. The greater UPF items consumption, the greater the prevalence ratios of overweight (≥1=35%; ≥2=44%; ≥3=66%) or inadequate eating practices (≥1=32%; ≥2=40%; ≥3=52%). The participation of one UPF item in the diet was associated with the prevalence of overweight or poor eating practices; the higher the UPF item participation, the higher the prevalence.