Abstract
Aim
To investigate the association between maternal sociodemographic factors and high consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) among children.
Subjects and methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted with 154 mothers of children aged 2–5 years who attended a primary health care unit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Data were collected using a questionnaire about children's consumption of UPF on the previous day and maternal sociodemographic factors. Children's UPF consumption score was derived from the sum of the all positive responses (yes) to a list of 11 UPF groups. Based on the UPF consumption score distribution, children were classified as having a ‘higher consumption’, when UPF consumption score was above the 75th percentile (> 5 food groups). Associations between maternal sociodemographic factors and high UPF consumption were estimated using crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR).
Results
High consumption of UPF in their children's diet was reported by 46.8% of mothers. The most commonly consumed foods were sweet or savoury biscuits (83.2%), margarine (61.3%), and yoghurt (59.4%). The adjusted model identified that children of younger mothers (PR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.12–1.50) with few years of education (PR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.11–1.42), who received social benefits (PR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.05–1.32), and with a normal-weight BMI (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) (PR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.02–1.26) were more likely to have a high consumption of UPF.
Conclusions
The findings show that high consumption of UPF was prevalent in this population of children. Therefore, there is a need to implement intervention programmes in preschool and primary care to provide more educational information to mothers and promote healthy family eating.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
References
Anastácio C, Oliveira JM, Moraes MM et al (2020) Nutritional profile of ultra-processed foods consumed by children in Rio de Janeiro. Revista de saude publica 54:89. https://doi.org/10.11606/s1518-8787.2020054001752
Baker P, Machado P, Santos T et al (2020) Ultra-processed foods and the nutrition transition: Global, regional and national trends, food systems transformations and political economy drivers. Obesity reviews: an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity 21(12):e13126. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13126
Baptista SSFG, Silva D et al (2018) Impacto do Imposto Especial sobre o Consumo de Bebidas Açucaradas e Adicionadas de Edulcorantes. Relatório do grupo de trabalho (Despacho n°2774/2018). https://hdl.handle.net/10216/118046. Accessed 3 July 2022
Barros AJD, Hirakata VN (2003) Alternatives for logistic regression in cross-sectional studies: an empirical comparison of models that directly estimate the prevalence ratio. BMC Med Res Methodol 3:21. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-3-21
Batalha MA, França AKTC, Conceição SIO et al (2017) Processed and ultra-processed food consumption among children aged 13 to 35 months and associated factors. Cad. Saúde Pública 33(11):e00152016. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311X0015201633:e00152016
Bielemann RM, Santos LP, Costa C et al (2018) Early feeding practices and consumption of ultraprocessed foods at 6 y of age: Findings from the 2004 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study. Nutrition (Burbank, Los Angeles County, Calif.) 47:27–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2017.09.012
Brasil (2019) Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (ANVISA) Relatório de análise de impacto regulatório sobre rotulagem nutricional. Brasília, DF: ANVISA
Brasil (2011) Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Departamento de Atenção Básica. Orientações para a coleta e análise de dados antropométricos em serviços de saúde: Norma Técnica do Sistema de Vigilância Alimentar e Nutricional - SISVAN / Ministério da Saúde, Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde, Departamento de Atenção Básica. – Brasília: Ministério da Saúde, p 76
Brazil (2015) Ministry of Health of Brazil. Secretariat of Health Care. Primary Health Care Department. Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian population / Ministry of Health of Brazil, Secretariat of Health Care, Primary Health Care Department; translated by Carlos Augusto Monteiro. – Brasília: Ministry of Health of Brazil. p 150. https://bvsms.saude.gov.br/bvs/publicacoes/dietary_guidelines_brazilian_population.pdf. Accessed 10 May 2022
Broilo MC, Vitolo MR, Stenzel LM, Levandowski DC (2017) Mothers' perceptions of their own diets and the diets of their children at 2-3 years of age. Psicologia, reflexao e critica : revista semestral do Departamento de Psicologia da UFRGS 30(1):13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41155-017-0067-7
Cainelli EC, Gondinho B, Palacio D et al (2021) Ultra-processed foods consumption among children and associated socioeconomic and demographic factors. Einstein (Sao Paulo, Brazil) 19:eAO5554. https://doi.org/10.31744/einstein_journal/2021AO5554
Calixto Andrade G, Julia C, Deschamps V et al (2021) Consumption of Ultra-Processed Food and Its Association with Sociodemographic Characteristics and Diet Quality in a Representative Sample of French Adults. Nutrients 13(2):682. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13020682
Campos MLB, Machado M, Azevedo DV et al (2017) Dietary patterns of obese children: Maternal perceptions and experiences. Revista de Nutrição [online] 30(02):197–207. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-98652017000200005
Costa CDS, Sattamini IF, Steele EM et al (2021) Consumption of ultra-processed foods and its association with sociodemographic factors in the adult population of the 27 Brazilian state capitals (2019). Revista De Saúde Pública 55:47. https://doi.org/10.11606/s1518-8787.2021055002833
Di Cesare M, Sorić M, Bovet P et al (2019) The epidemiological burden of obesity in childhood: a worldwide epidemic requiring urgent action. BMC Medicine 17(1):212. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-019-1449-8
Enes CC, Camargo CM, Justino MIC (2019) Ultra-processed food consumption and obesity in adolescents. Rev. Nutr 32:e180170. https://doi.org/10.1590/1678-9865201932e180170
Giesta JM, Zoche E, Corrêa R, Bosa VL (2019) Associated factors with early introduction of ultra-processed foods in feeding of children under two years old. Fatores associados à introdução precoce de alimentos ultraprocessados na alimentação de crianças menores de dois anos. Ciencia & saude coletiva 24(7):2387–2397. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232018247.24162017
Hawkes C (2008) Dietary Implications of Supermarket Development: A Global Perspective. Dev. Policy Rev. 26:657–692. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7679.2008.00428.x
Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) (2020) Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares 2017-2018: Avaliação Nutricional da Disponibilidade Domiciliar de Alimentos no Brasil. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE. https://biblioteca.ibge.gov.br/visualizacao/livros/liv101704.pdf. Accessed 10 May 2022
Jacquier EF, Deming DM, Eldridge AL (2018) Location influences snacking behavior of US infants, toddlers and preschool children. BMC Public Health 18(1):725. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5576-5
Karnopp EV, Vaz JD, Schafer AA et al (2017) Food consumption of children younger than 6 years according to the degree of food processing. Jornal de pediatria 93(1):70–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2016.04.007
Khandpur N, Neri DA, Monteiro C et al (2020) Ultra-processed food consumption among the paediatric population: An overview and call to action from the European Childhood Obesity Group. Ann Nutr Metab 76:109–113. https://doi.org/10.1159/000507840
Laster L, Lovelady CA, West DG et al (2013) Diet quality of overweight and obese mothers and their preschool children. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 113(11):1476–1483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2013.05.018
Louzada ML, Martins AP, Canella DS et al (2015) Ultra-processed foods and the nutritional dietary profile in Brazil. Revista de saude publica 49:38. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0034-8910.2015049006132
Louzada M, Ricardo CZ, Steele EM et al (2018) The share of ultra-processed foods determines the overall nutritional quality of diets in Brazil. Public health nutrition 21(1):94–102. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980017001434
Marrón-Ponce J, Sánchez-Pimienta T, Louzada M, Batis C (2018) Energy contribution of NOVA food groups and sociodemographic determinants of ultra-processed food consumption in the Mexican population. Public Health Nutrition 21(1):87–93. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980017002129
Monteiro C, Cannon G, Levy R et al (2019) Ultra-processed foods: What they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition 22(5):936–941. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018003762
Nakamura R, Mirelman AJ, Cuadrado C et al (2018) Evaluating the 2014 sugar-sweetened beverage tax in Chile: An observational study in urban areas. PLoS Med 15(7):e1002596. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1002596
Nardocci M, Leclerc BS, Louzada ML et al (2019) Consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity in Canada. Can J Public Health 110(1):4–14. https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-018-0130-x
Navarro P, Mehegan J, Murrin CM, Kelleher CC, Phillips CM et al (2019) Adherence to the Healthy Eating Index-2015 across Generations Is Associated with Birth Outcomes and Weight Status at Age 5 in the Lifeways Cross-Generation Cohort Study. Nutrients 11(4):928. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11040928
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) (2017) Worldwide trends in body-mass index, underweight, overweight, and obesity from 1975 to 2016: a pooled analysis of 2416 population-based measurement studies in 128·9 million children, adolescents, and adults. Lancet (London, England) 390(10113):2627–2642. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32129-3
Oliveira JM et al (2015) Avaliação da alimentação complementar nos dois primeiros anos de vida: proposta de indicadores e de instrumento. Cadernos de Saúde Pública [online]. 31(2):1678–4464. https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-311X00209513
Pilar PM, Rafael MC, Félix ZO et al (2019) Impact of Sports Mass Media on the Behavior and Health of Society. A Systematic Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 16(3):486. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16030486
Rauber F, Steele EM, Louzada M et al (2020) Ultra-processed food consumption and indicators of obesity in the United Kingdom population (2008-2016). PloS one 15(5):e0232676. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0232676
Relvas GRB, Buccini GS, Venancio SI et al (2018) Ultra-processed food consumption among infants in primary health care in a city of the metropolitan region of São Paulo, Brazil. J Pediatr 95:584–592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2018.05.004
Robson SM, Couch SC, Peugh JL et al (2016) Parent Diet Quality and Energy Intake Are Related to Child Diet Quality and Energy Intake. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 116(6):984–990. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.02.011
Sato PM, Couto MT, Wells J et al (2020) Mothers' food choices and consumption of ultra-processed foods in the Brazilian Amazon: A grounded theory study. Appetite 148:104602. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2020.104602
Silva MA, Milagres LC, Castro A et al (2019) The consumption of ultra-processed products is associated with the best socioeconomic level of the children's families. Ciencia & saude coletiva 24(11):4053–4060. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-812320182411.25632017
Soares MM, Juvanhol LL, Ribeiro SAV et al (2021) Prevalence of processed and ultra-processed food intake in Brazilian children (6-24 months) is associated with maternal consumption and breastfeeding practices. International journal of food sciences and nutrition 72(7):978–988. https://doi.org/10.1080/09637486.2021.1885016
Sparrenberger K, Friedrich RR, Schiffner MD et al (2015) Ultra-processed food consumption in children from a Basic Health Unit. Jornal de pediatria 91(6):535–542. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jped.2015.01.007
Sperandio N, Rodrigues CT, Franceschini S et al (2017) The impact of the Bolsa Família Program on food consumption: a comparative study of the southeast and northeast regions of Brazil. Ciencia & saude coletiva 22(6):1771–1780. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232017226.25852016
Taylor RM, Haslam RL, Burrows TL et al (2019) Issues in Measuring and Interpreting Diet and Its Contribution to Obesity. Current obesity reports 8(2):53–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-019-00336-2
Wolf MR, Barros Filho AA (2014) Nutritional status of beneficiaries of the ¨Bolsa Família¨ Program in Brazil - a systematic review. Ciência & Saúde Coletiva [online] 19(05):1331–1338. https://doi.org/10.1590/1413-81232014195.05052013
World Health Organization (WHO) (2000) Obesity: preventing and managing the global epidemic: report of a WHO consultation. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/42330. Accessed 5 June 2022
World Health Organization (WHO) (2019) World health statistics 2019: monitoring health for the SDGs, sustainable development goals. World Health Organization, Geneva. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565707. Accessed 10 May 2022
Funding
No funds, grants, or other support was received.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Flavia Brito: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Data curation, Formal analysis, Writing-Original draft, Writing – Review & Editing. Flavia Lima: Data curation, Writing – Review & Editing. Amanda Adegboye: Formal analysis, Writing-Original draft, Writing – Review & Editing. Ariane Romeiro: Writing – Review & Editing. Alessandra Oliveira: Writing – Review & Editing. Maria Helena Hasselmann: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Data curation, Writing- Reviewing and Editing. Claudia Valeria da Silva: Conceptualization, Investigation, Methodology, Data curation, Writing-Original draft, Writing – Review & Editing. All authors have approved the final article.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethics approval
This study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the City Hall of Rio de Janeiro (N° 1068427). All mothers were informed of the purpose of the study and signed an informed consent form.
Ethical statement
This study was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the State University of Rio de Janeiro (N° 1068427).
Consent to participate
All mothers were informed of the purpose of the study and signed an informed consent form.
Consent to publish
Not applicable.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
dos Santos Barbosa Brito, F., Lima, F.F., Adegboye, A.R.A. et al. Maternal sociodemographic factors and their association with ultra-processed foods consumption among children. J Public Health (Berl.) 32, 295–301 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01809-w
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01809-w