Patterns of ultra-processed foods consumption throughout childhood and trajectories of growth and adiposity

Autores da FMUP

• Milton Severo Barros Da Silva

  Autor

• Carla Maria De Moura Lopes

  Autor

Participantes de fora da FMUP

• Magalh?es, V.
• Vilela, S.
• Torres, D.

Unidades de investigação

• Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses, e Educação Médica

Abstract

Background & aims: Ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption has been associated with unhealthy outcomes. However, the literature lacks robust longitudinal studies considering its cumulative effect, particularly in young populations. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between UPF consumption patterns throughout childhood with growth and adiposity trajectories. Methods: Generation XXI population-based birth cohort (Porto, Portugal) participants were included. Food frequency questionnaire items at 4, 7 and 10 years were classified according to the processing degree using NOVA. UPF consumption patterns based on total quantity were identified using a probabilistic Gaussian mixture model using participants with complete data and predicting for the total sample (n = 8647). To assess whether the outcome trajectories from 4 to 13 years [body weight (kg), height (cm), body mass index (BMI) z-score, waist circumference (WC) (cm) and fat mass (FM) (%)] depend on UPF patterns, a mixed-effects model with linear and quadratic terms for age adjusted for confounders was used. Participants with at least 2 measurements at 4, 7, 10 or 13 years were included in this study (n range: 5885–6272). Results: Four UPF consumption patterns were identified: constantly lower consumption (15.4%), constantly intermediate consumption (56.4%), transition from low to high consumption (11.2%), and constantly higher consumption (17.1%). Compared to the constantly lower UPF consumption, the constantly higher consumption pattern was associated with greater acceleration in body weight (ß: 0.119; 95%CI: 0.027; 0.212), BMI z-score (ß: 0.014; 95%CI: 0.004; 0.023), WC (ß: 0.232; 95%CI: 0.144; 0.319) and FM% (ß: 0.200; 95%CI: 0.092; 0.308) and with lower acceleration in height (ß: -0.063; 95%CI: -0.111;-0.015). The constantly intermediate UPF consumption pattern was associated with greater acceleration in body weight (ß: 0.123; 95%CI: 0.043; 0.203), WC (ß: 0.120; 95%CI: 0.045; 0.195) and FM% (ß: 0.146; 95%CI: 0.054; 0.238). Conclusion: Constantly higher and constantly intermediate UPF consumption throughout childhood were associated with worse growth and adiposity trajectories until adolescence. © 2024 The Authors

Keywords

• Adiposity; Adolescent; Birth Cohort; Body Mass Index; Body Weight; Child; Child Development; Child, Preschool; Diet; Fast Foods; Feeding Behavior; Female; Food, Processed; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Portugal; Waist Circumference; Article; birth cohort; blood analysis; body mass; body weight gain; child; child growth; childhood; cohort analysis; controlled study; educational status; fat mass; female; follow up; food frequency questionnaire; food intake; food processing; human; impedance; male; obesity; sociodemographics; ultra-processed food; waist circumference; adipose tissue inflammation; adolescent; body weight; child development; diet; epidemiology; fast food; feeding behavior; longitudinal study; physiology; Portugal; preschool child; processed food