Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Breakfast Habits among Schoolchildren in the City of Uruguaiana, Brazil
Published on: July 29, 2020
Prospective association between baseline ultra-processed food consumption and future adherence to the 24-h movement
Nadia Paladino1, Miguel Ángel Martínez-González2,3,4, José Francisco López-Gil5,6
1Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy.
Insights
Higher ultra-processed food (UPF) intake in preschoolers predicts lower adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines, particularly increasing screen time. Reducing UPF consumption is key for healthy childhood behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition and Public Health
- Childhood Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior
- Longitudinal Cohort Studies in Early Childhood
Background:
- Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are linked to poor nutrition and adverse metabolic outcomes in children.
- Limited longitudinal research exists on diet and 24-hour movement guidelines adherence.
- This study is the first to prospectively link early-life UPF intake to later adherence to movement guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if baseline ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption predicts failure to meet 24-hour movement guidelines at a 2-year follow-up in preschoolers.
- To investigate the specific movement guideline components most affected by UPF intake.
- To identify the relationship between UPF consumption and sedentary screen time in early childhood.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from 586 preschoolers (aged 4-5 years) in the SENDO project.
- Dietary intake assessed via a 149-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) categorized by NOVA classification.
- 24-hour movement guidelines (physical activity, screen time, sleep) assessed through parent-reported questionnaires.
Main Results:
- Higher UPF consumption (highest tertile) was associated with a 27% increased rate ratio of not meeting 24-hour movement guidelines (RR 1.27, p=0.021).
- A significant linear trend across UPF tertiles indicated poorer adherence with increasing UPF intake (p=0.022).
- Children with high UPF intake were 82% more likely to not meet recreational screen time guidelines (RR 1.82, p=0.036), with significantly higher absolute screen time.
Conclusions:
- Higher ultra-processed food (UPF) intake in early childhood is associated with lower adherence to 24-hour movement guidelines.
- The primary driver of this association appears to be increased sedentary screen time.
- Reducing UPF consumption is crucial for promoting healthy movement behaviors and adherence to guidelines throughout early life.
Abstract:
This study evaluates whether baseline ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption predicts failure to meet 24-h movement guidelines at 2-year follow-up in early childhood. Data from 586 participants (aged 4-5 years at baseline) from the SENDO project were analyzed. Dietary intake was assessed through a validated 149-item FFQ, completed by parents, and categorized by NOVA classification. Physical activity, screen time, and sleep time were assessed through questionnaires, based on the 24-h movement guidelines established by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology and the WHO. Overall, 92.0% of participants adhered to at least one guideline, 38.9% met all three, and only 8.0% met none of the recommendations. After adjusting for confounders, children in the highest UPF tertile (T3) had a rate ratio (RR) of 1.27 (95% CI 1.04-1.55; p = 0.021) compared with the lowest (T1). A significant linear trend was observed across UPF tertiles (p for trend = 0.022). Moreover, children in T3 had a greater likelihood of not meeting the recreational screen time guideline (RR 1.82, 95% CI 1.18-2.64; p = 0.036) than those in T1. Absolute screen time was significantly higher in T3 than T1 (1.31 ± 1.11 vs. 0.94 ± 1.18 h/day; p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
This study suggests that higher UPF consumption is associated with a lower adherence to 24-h movement recommendations-specifically regarding an increased likelihood of not complying with the recreational screen time recommendation. This highlights the importance of reducing UPF intake to support healthy behaviors over time in early life.
What Is Known:
• Only a limited number of longitudinal studies have investigated the potential long-term association between dietary habits and the 24-h movement guidelines. • Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is consistently linked to nutrient imbalances and adverse metabolic outcomes in children and adolescents.
What Is New:
• This is the first study to prospectively investigate the relationship between early-life UPF intake and subsequent nonadherence to the 24-h movement guidelines in preschoolers. • Higher baseline UPF intake predicts a lower likelihood of meeting the movement recommendations after a 2-year follow-up, an association primarily driven by increased sedentary screen time.