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Consumption of ultra-processed foods and growth outcomes in early childhood: 2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 September 2022

Caroline dos Santos Costa Open the ORCID record for Caroline dos Santos Costa [Opens in a new window] ,
Romina Buffarini ,
Thaynã Ramos Flores ,
Daniela Neri ,
Mariângela Freitas Silveira  and
Carlos Augusto Monteiro
Caroline dos Santos Costa*
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 01246-904, Brazil Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Romina Buffarini
Affiliation:
Post-Graduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
Thaynã Ramos Flores
Affiliation:
Post-Graduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
Daniela Neri
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 01246-904, Brazil Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Mariângela Freitas Silveira
Affiliation:
Post-Graduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
Carlos Augusto Monteiro
Affiliation:
Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 01246-904, Brazil Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health, Department of Nutrition, School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
*
*Corresponding author: Dr C. S. Costa, fax +55 53 98124 2484, email carolinercosta@gmail.com
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Abstract

The current study aims to describe the consumption of ultra-processed foods, from 2 to 4 years old, and evaluate its association with growth outcomes during the same period. It is a prospective cohort study using data from the 2015 Pelotas-Brazil Birth Cohort. Outcomes assessed at the 2- and 4-year-old follow-ups were BMI-for-age Z-score and length/height-for-age Z-score. The exposure was a score of ultra-processed food consumption calculated at each follow-up by summing up the positive answers for the consumption of nine specific items/subgroups of ultra-processed foods: (i) instant noodles; (ii) soft drink; (iii) chocolate powder in milk; (iv) nuggets, hamburger or sausages; (v) packaged salty snacks; (vi) candies, lollipops, chewing gum, chocolate or jelly; (vii) sandwich cookie or sweet biscuit; (viii) juice in can or box or prepared from a powdered mix and (ix) yogurt. Crude and adjusted analyses between the score of ultra-processed foods and the outcomes were run using generalised estimating equations. Prevalence of consumption of ultra-processed foods increased from 2 to 4 years old, for all evaluated items/subgroups, except yogurt. In prospective analyses, higher scores of ultra-processed food consumption were associated with higher BMI-for-age Z-score and lower length/height-for-age Z-score, after adjustment for confounders. Ultra-processed food consumption, measured using a short questionnaire with low research burden, increased from 2 to 4 years old and was related to deleterious growth outcomes in early childhood. These results reinforce the importance of avoiding the consumption of these products in childhood to prevent the double burden of malnutrition and non-communicable chronic diseases throughout the life.

Keywords

Ultra-processed foodGrowthChildhoodCohort studies
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 129 , Issue 12 , 28 June 2023 , pp. 2153 - 2160
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

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