Processed and ultra-processed food consumption among children aged 13 to 35 months and associated factors

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Pediatric Health
• Public Health

Background:

• Processed and ultra-processed foods (PUF) are increasingly prevalent in children's diets.
• Understanding factors associated with PUF consumption in early childhood is crucial for public health interventions.
• The "NOVA" classification system categorizes foods based on the extent and purpose of food processing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the consumption patterns of processed and ultra-processed foods in children aged 13-35 months.
• To identify factors associated with high PUF intake in this age group within the BRISA cohort in Brazil.
• To inform targeted interventions for reducing PUF consumption and preventing future health issues.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 1,185 children aged 13-35 months in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil, was studied.
• Food consumption was assessed using a 24-hour dietary recall.
• Poisson regression with robust variance estimation was employed to analyze factors associated with high PUF consumption.

Main Results:

• Children whose mothers had less than 12 years of education showed a higher proportion of high PUF consumption.
• Children older than 16 months were also more likely to have high PUF intake.
• The mean daily energy intake was 1,226 Kcal/day.

Conclusions:

• Maternal education level is a significant factor associated with children's PUF consumption.
• Age of the child (older than 16 months) is another key factor linked to higher PUF intake.
• Interventions should target mothers with lower educational attainment and older infants to reduce PUF consumption.