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Ultra-processed food consumption and NCD-related dietary nutrient profile in a national sample of French children and adolescents

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Abstract

Aim

The consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) and its impact on diet quality has been extensively studied and reported in the literature, but only a few studies have focused on children and adolescents. The present study therefore aimed to describe UPF consumption in a representative sample of French children and adolescents and to evaluate its association with diet quality.

Methods

The study included 1146 children and teenagers (3–17 years old) from the cross-sectional French Nutrition and Health Study 2006/2007 who completed three 24-hour food recalls over a period of 15 days. Food consumption was described using the NOVA classification. Regression models were used to estimate the association between UPF consumption and diet quality.

Results

The UPF dietary share in children and adolescents represented 44.2% and 44.5% of total energy intake respectively. In both age groups, UPF consumption was positively associated with dietary energy density and total carbohydrate and free sugars content, but negatively associated with dietary contents of protein, fiber, and potassium. UPF consumption also showed a positive association with inadequate intakes of energy density, free sugars, fiber, and potassium among children, and inadequate consumption of fiber and free sugars among teenagers.

Conclusion

Higher UPF consumption among French children and adolescents is associated with a lower quality diet.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the Equipe de surveillance et d’epidémiologie nutritionnelle (Esen), Santé publique France, Université Paris 13, as the main investigator, as well as the dieticians who collected the data. The authors also thank “Santé publique France”, as the main promoter and supporter, for enabling to the ENNS database and support documentation.

Funding

This work was supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (Capes) and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo (FMUSP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, 01246-90, Brazil

    Giovanna Calixto Andrade & Renata Bertazzi Levy

  2. Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, University of São Paulo (Nupens/USP), Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 455 - Cerqueira César, São Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil

    Giovanna Calixto Andrade & Renata Bertazzi Levy

  3. Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Inserm, INRAE, Cnam, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center – University of Paris (CRESS), 93017, Bobigny, France

    Chantal Julia, Valérie Deschamps, Bernard Srour, Serge Hercberg, Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot, Benjamin Allès, Eloi Chazelas, Mélanie Deschasaux & Mathilde Touvier

  4. Public Health Department, Avicenne Hospital, AP-HP, Bobigny, France

    Chantal Julia & Serge Hercberg

  5. Santé Publique France, The French Public Health Agency, Nutritional Epidemiology Surveillance Team (ESEN), Bobigny, France

    Valérie Deschamps

Authors
  1. Giovanna Calixto Andrade
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  2. Chantal Julia
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  4. Bernard Srour
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  6. Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot
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  7. Benjamin Allès
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  10. Mathilde Touvier
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  11. Renata Bertazzi Levy
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Contributions

Giovanna C. Andrade, the first and corresponding author, participated in the design and planning of the study, analysis, and interpretation of data and in the manuscript writing. Renata Bertazzi Levy, Chantal Julia, and Mathilde Touvier supervised the paper, delimiting methodology, tables, and discussion of the article. The other authors, Valérie Deschamps, Bernard Srour, Serge Hercberg, Emmanuelle Kesse-guyot, Benjamin Allès, Eloi Chazelas and Mélanie Deschasaux, participated in the planning of the study, interpretation of data, and critical review. All authors have reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giovanna Calixto Andrade.

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Nothing to declare.

Ethics approval

The manuscript analysed data on 1159 children and teenagers (3–17 years old) from the cross-sectional study French Nutrition and Health Study 2006/2007 (ENNS 2006/2007). The information contained in the database does not allow the identification of the individuals studied since the specific data, such as their address and telephone number, are omitted. Study approval was obtained from the French data protection authority (Commission Nationale de l’informatique et des Libertés, authorization no. 905,481) and a bioethics committee (Hôpital Cochin, Paris, no. 2264). The authorization for the use of the information was obtained by the institute Santé publique France, and the study was authorized by the ethics committee of the Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo.

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Andrade, G.C., Julia, C., Deschamps, V. et al. Ultra-processed food consumption and NCD-related dietary nutrient profile in a national sample of French children and adolescents. J Public Health (Berl.) 31, 1547–1557 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01693-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-022-01693-4

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