Ultra-Processed Food Availability and Noncommunicable Diseases: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nutrition Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) pose significant risks to population health.
• Assessing UPF consumption via availability data (e.g., household surveys) is crucial for understanding health impacts.
• Existing research often focuses on individual dietary intake, necessitating a broader population-level analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review studies linking the availability of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors.
• To identify research gaps concerning UPF availability and diverse health outcomes.
• To synthesize evidence on the association between UPF availability and population health.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search conducted in major databases (PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science) in February 2021.
• Adherence to PRISMA guidelines for study selection and data extraction.
• Quality assessment of eligible studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, analyzing 998 records.

Main Results:

• All 11 eligible studies were ecological, primarily investigating overweight and obesity as health outcomes.
• A strong positive association between UPF availability and overweight/obesity was found in most studies.
• Limited evidence exists for UPF availability and diabetes prevalence, with no significant associations reported in two included studies.

Conclusions:

• Current research on UPF availability and health outcomes predominantly focuses on overweight and obesity.
• Further investigation is required to explore the relationship between UPF availability and other noncommunicable diseases.
• Utilizing purchase or sales data is recommended for future studies examining UPF availability and health outcomes.