TY - JOUR
T1 - Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for children
AU - Müller, Anna
AU - Costa, Caroline dos Santos
AU - Buffarini, Romina
AU - Vaz, Juliana dos Santos
AU - Domingues, Marlos Rodrigues
AU - Hallal, Pedro Curi
AU - Motta, Janaina Vieira dos Santos
N1 - Brazilian Association of Collective Health (Abrasco). Wellcome Trust (Process - 095582). National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq - processes 407813/2021-7, 406582/2021-1, and 406582/2021-1). Rio Grande do Sul Research Support Foundation (FAPERGS) (Process 21/2551-0002004-0). Department of Science and Technology of the Ministry of Health (DECIT). Todos Pela Sa\u00FAde Institute. Celer Biotecnologia AS. Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes - funding code 001).
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To present a screener for consumption of ultra-processed foods for children in early childhood, evaluating the ability of the score generated by this screener to reflect the participation of ultra-processed foods in children’s diets. METHODS: This study was conducted with a convenience subsample of the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort (n = 365). The mothers of the participating children answered a food consumption questionnaire the day before the interview (screener) containing 16 subgroups of ultra-processed foods, followed by a traditional 24-hour food recall (24hR). Each participant’s ultra-processed food consumption score corresponded to the number of food subgroups consumed and the percentage of energy derived from the participation of ultra-processed foods in the diet on the same day was calculated from the answers in the 24hR. The association between the score and the percentage of energy from ultra-processed foods was tested using linear regression models. The degree of agreement between the classification of participants according to approximate fifths of the percentage of calories from ultra-processed foods and according to the score intervals was assessed using the Pabak index. RESULTS: The average percentage share of ultra-processed foods in the total caloric value of the diet, calculated using the 24hR, was directly and significantly associated with an increase in the ultra-processed food consumption score. There was substantial agreement between the ranges of the ultra-processed food consumption score obtained by the screener and the approximate fifths of the share of ultra-processed foods in the diet calculated by the 24hR (Pabak index = 0.65). CONCLUSIONS: The ultra-processed food consumption score, obtained from an ultra-processed food consumption screener, a practical and agile instrument, is capable of reflecting the participation of ultra-processed foods in children’s diets, with regard to the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To present a screener for consumption of ultra-processed foods for children in early childhood, evaluating the ability of the score generated by this screener to reflect the participation of ultra-processed foods in children’s diets. METHODS: This study was conducted with a convenience subsample of the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort (n = 365). The mothers of the participating children answered a food consumption questionnaire the day before the interview (screener) containing 16 subgroups of ultra-processed foods, followed by a traditional 24-hour food recall (24hR). Each participant’s ultra-processed food consumption score corresponded to the number of food subgroups consumed and the percentage of energy derived from the participation of ultra-processed foods in the diet on the same day was calculated from the answers in the 24hR. The association between the score and the percentage of energy from ultra-processed foods was tested using linear regression models. The degree of agreement between the classification of participants according to approximate fifths of the percentage of calories from ultra-processed foods and according to the score intervals was assessed using the Pabak index. RESULTS: The average percentage share of ultra-processed foods in the total caloric value of the diet, calculated using the 24hR, was directly and significantly associated with an increase in the ultra-processed food consumption score. There was substantial agreement between the ranges of the ultra-processed food consumption score obtained by the screener and the approximate fifths of the share of ultra-processed foods in the diet calculated by the 24hR (Pabak index = 0.65). CONCLUSIONS: The ultra-processed food consumption score, obtained from an ultra-processed food consumption screener, a practical and agile instrument, is capable of reflecting the participation of ultra-processed foods in children’s diets, with regard to the 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort.
KW - Child Nutrition
KW - Food intake
KW - Processed Food
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - Validation Study
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U2 - 10.11606/s1518-8787.2025059005816
DO - 10.11606/s1518-8787.2025059005816
M3 - Article
C2 - 40172473
AN - SCOPUS:105002425317
SN - 0034-8910
VL - 59
JO - Revista de saude publica
JF - Revista de saude publica
M1 - e5
ER -