Factors Affecting Ultra-Processed Food Consumption: Hedonic Hunger, Food Addiction, and Mood

Ultra-processed foods (UPF) play a central role in modern diets but pose a serious threat to public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between UPF consumption and hedonic hunger, food addiction, and mood and to explain the impact of these factors on dietary habits. This cross-sectional study included 3997 adults (2517 female, 1480 male), aged 18-65 years, recruited through snowball sampling in Ankara, Turkey. Data were collected via a web-based survey that included demographic information, self-reported anthropometric measurements, and validated scales: Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption, The Power of Food Scale, Yale Food Addiction Scale, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. The mean age of the participants was 31.7 ± 12.82 years. The Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption was positively correlated with the Yale Food Addiction Scale score and the subdimension scores of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (p < 0.05). According to linear regression analysis, it was determined that gender, age, Yale Food Addiction Scale score, and the scores of depression, anxiety, and stress affected the Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption score (p < 0.05). There was a difference between the groups with low and high levels of UPF consumption in terms of age, gender, marital and working status, Yale Food Addiction Scale score, and the subdimension scores of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, considering the influence of food addiction and mood on UPF consumption, policies and interventions targeting the psychosocial processes of individuals should be developed and further research conducted in this area to limit the UPF consumption and promote healthy eating habits along with conscious eating behaviors.