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Accepted manuscript

Ultra-processed food consumption is related to screen time among Brazilian adolescents, adults, and older adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2024

Caroline dos Santos Costa
Affiliation:
Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
Andrea Wendt
Affiliation:
Graduate Program in Health Technology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
Adriana Kramer Fiala Machado
Affiliation:
Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, Brazil
Luiza Isnardi Cardoso Ricardo*
Affiliation:
MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
André de Oliveira Werneck
Affiliation:
Postgraduate Program in Nutrition and Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Maria Laura da Costa Louzada
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
*
Corresponding author: Luiza Isnardi Cardoso Ricardo - luiza.ricardo@mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Box 285 Institute of Metabolic Science, Cambridge Biomedical Campus - Cambridge CB2 0QQ
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Abstract

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The aim of this study was to investigate the association between screen time and ultra-processed food consumption (UPF) across the lifespan. Data from the 2019 Brazilian National Health Survey, a cross-sectional and population-based study, was used. UPF consumption was evaluated using a score, calculated by summing the positive answers to questions about the consumption of 10 UPF subgroups on previous day. Scores ≥5 represented high UPF consumption. Daily time spent engaging with television or other screens was self-reported. Crude and adjusted models were obtained through Poisson regression and results were expressed in prevalence ratios by age group. The sample included 2,315 adolescents, 65,803 adults, and 22,728 older adults. Prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 was higher according to increased screen time, with dose-response across all age groups and types of screen time. Adolescents, adults, and older adults watching TV for ≥6 hours/day presented prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 1.8 (95% CI 1.2-2.9), 1.9 (95% CI 1.6-2.3) and 2.2 (95% CI 1.4-3.6) times higher, respectively, compared to those who did not watch TV. For other screens, prevalence of UPF scores ≥5 was 2.4 (95% CI 1.3-4.1) and 1.6 (95% CI 1.4-1.9) times higher for adolescents and adults using screens for ≥6 hours/day, respectively, while for older adults only screen times of 2-<3 and 3-<6 hours were significantly associated with UPF scores ≥5. Screen time was associated with high consumption of UPF in all age groups. Considering these associations when planning and implementing interventions would be beneficial for public health across the lifespan.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© The Authors 2024