Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for children
ABSTRACT 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 con...
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Universidade de São Paulo
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Revista de Saúde Pública |
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| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102025000100203&lng=en&tlng=en |
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| author | Anna Müller Caroline dos Santos Costa Romina Buffarini Juliana dos Santos Vaz Marlos Rodrigues Domingues Pedro Curi Hallal Janaina Vieira dos Santos Motta |
| author_facet | Anna Müller Caroline dos Santos Costa Romina Buffarini Juliana dos Santos Vaz Marlos Rodrigues Domingues Pedro Curi Hallal Janaina Vieira dos Santos Motta |
| author_sort | Anna Müller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c0c846fcda3e48aa89bf70fc9654253a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1518-8787 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Universidade de São Paulo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revista de Saúde Pública |
| spelling | doaj-art-c0c846fcda3e48aa89bf70fc9654253a2025-08-20T02:08:40ZengUniversidade de São PauloRevista de Saúde Pública1518-87872025-03-015910.11606/s1518-8787.2025059005816Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for childrenAnna Müllerhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-0815-6168Caroline dos Santos Costahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3522-1546Romina Buffarinihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6905-8767Juliana dos Santos Vazhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2880-767XMarlos Rodrigues Domingueshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2503-2944Pedro Curi Hallalhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1470-6461Janaina Vieira dos Santos Mottahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3755-845XABSTRACT 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.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102025000100203&lng=en&tlng=enFood intakeProcessed FoodChild NutritionSurveys and QuestionnairesValidation Study |
| spellingShingle | Anna Müller Caroline dos Santos Costa Romina Buffarini Juliana dos Santos Vaz Marlos Rodrigues Domingues Pedro Curi Hallal Janaina Vieira dos Santos Motta Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for children Revista de Saúde Pública Food intake Processed Food Child Nutrition Surveys and Questionnaires Validation Study |
| title | Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for children |
| title_full | Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for children |
| title_fullStr | Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for children |
| title_full_unstemmed | Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for children |
| title_short | Description and evaluation of an ultra-processed food consumption score for children |
| title_sort | description and evaluation of an ultra processed food consumption score for children |
| topic | Food intake Processed Food Child Nutrition Surveys and Questionnaires Validation Study |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-89102025000100203&lng=en&tlng=en |
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