Open AccessExamining the diversity of ultra-processed food consumption and associated factors in Canadian adults
Author(s) -
Emily Seale,
Linda S GreeneFinestone,
Margaret de Groh
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
applied physiology, nutrition and metabolism/applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.789
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1715-5320
pISSN - 1715-5312
DOI - 10.1139/apnm-2019-0518
Subject(s) - body mass index , demography , confounding , diversity (politics) , consumption (sociology) , environmental health , medicine , obesity , psychological intervention , food group , descriptive statistics , gerontology , social science , statistics , mathematics , pathology , psychiatry , sociology , anthropology
Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is increasing globally at an unprecedented rate. We investigated UPF consumption among Canadian adults and associated sociodemographic and health-related factors. This study was a secondary analysis of the Foodbook study (2014–2015), which collected self-reported data on foods consumed by Canadians during a 7-day period. UPF diversity was assessed by summing the different types of UPFs consumed in the previous week to produce a diversity score. Descriptive statistics summarized UPF diversity among subgroups in Canada. Regression models identified significant associations between UPF diversity, body mass index (BMI), and sociodemographic variables. This study included 6062 participants, aged 18 years and older, representing 24.7 million Canadian adults. Almost all Canadian adults (99.0%) consumed UPFs at least once weekly. The most common UPFs consumed were chocolate, chips/pretzels, cold breakfast cereal, and fast foods. UPF diversity was greatest among men, young respondents, those with high income, and those with obesity. When controlling for potential confounders, UPF diversity for men and women was significantly associated with younger age and higher BMI; it was also associated with region for women. This study suggests UPF consumption in Canada varies across sociodemographic subgroups, but ultimately is pervasive. Further research examining potential health risks associated with UPF consumption is encouraged to inform Canadian interventions. Novelty: Almost all Canadians consume at least one type of ultra-processed food weekly. Nearly half or more Canadians consume chocolate, chips/pretzels, cold breakfast cereal, or fast food at least once weekly. Gender, age, and BMI are consistently associated with ultra-processed food diversity.