Consumption of ultra-processed foods by adolescents

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPF) by adolescents from the municipal school system of Montes Claros – MG. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, carried out in 2017, with adolescents enrolled in the 6th to 9th grade, with a mean age of 13.00 ± 1.34 years. Two types of questionnaires were used: i) a structured and self-administered questionnaire containing demographic variables (sex, age group and school grade), and ii) the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) used to assess the frequency of daily consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods. RESULTS: It was observed that processed foods, soft drinks and sweets were consumed daily by 11.2%, 12.5% ​​and 33.7%, respectively. Almost half of the students (44.2%) had not consumed packaged snacks in the week prior to the study. High proportions of ultra-processed food consumption were found (61.2%), among which the most consumed were sweets, followed by soft drinks, sausages and packaged snacks (48.0%, 23.5%, 19.0% and 13.07%, respectively). The regular consumption of sweets and packaged snacks was significantly associated with gender, being more prevalent in females (P<0.001). The prevalence of regular consumption of UPF was also higher among females (p=0.002). Regarding regular consumption according to age group, higher prevalences were observed in adolescents aged 13-14 years (p=0.041). CONCLUSION: This study showed high prevalence of ultra-processed food consumption among adolescents. Therefore, it is necessary to raise awareness among adolescents about the consequences of excessive consumption of these foods, through actions to promote healthy eating in the school environment.