Intake of Ultra-processed Food, Dietary Diversity and the Risk of Nutritional Inadequacy Among Adults in India

Overview

Journal Public Health Nutr

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Date 2023 Oct 2

PMID 37781767

Authors

Srishti Mediratta

Santu Ghosh

Pulkit Mathur

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed diet diversity and consumption of ultra-processed foods and explored its impact on macronutrient intake and risk of micronutrient inadequacy.

Design: Cross-sectional, non-probability snowball sampling.

Setting: Nutrient intake was assessed using 24-h dietary recall method and diet diversity through FAO-diet diversity score (DDS). Mann-Whitney test was used to assess differences in risk of inadequacy across gender. Spearman's rank correlation assessed associations between energy contributed by ultra-processed food and risk of nutrient inadequacy.

Participants: A total of 589 adults (20-40 years) belonging to upper-middle and high-income groups.

Results: The average individual DDS was 4·4 ± 0·6. Most of the participants (>80 %) had intakes less than national recommendations of pulses/eggs/flesh foods, milk/milk products, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Ultra-processed foods contributed to 17 % of total energy intake, 12 % of protein, 17 % of carbohydrate, 29 % of added sugar, 20 % of total fat and 33 % of Na intake. The average risk of nutrient inadequacies for Zn (98 % . 75 %), folate (67 % . 22 %) and niacin (83 % . 44 %) was higher among males than females ( < 0·001). The average risk of nutrient inadequacies for Fe (58 % . 7 %), vitamin B (95 % . 90 %) and vitamin A (68 % . 44 %) was higher among females than males ( < 0·001). There was a positive correlation between energy contributed by ultra-processed food and risk of niacin ( = 0·136, = 0·001) and folate ( = 0·089, = 0·049) inadequacy.

Conclusion: Reformulating ultra-processed food to reduce fat, sugar and salt and increase micronutrients and behaviour change communication strategies that promote dietary diversity will improve micronutrient adequacy and diet quality.

Citing Articles

Mapping ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in India: a formative research study.

Ghosh-Jerath S, Khandpur N, Kumar G, Kohli S, Singh M, Bhamra I BMC Public Health. 2024; 24(1):2212.

PMID: 39143524 PMC: 11323379. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19624-1.

Quantitative Assessment of the Inadequate Intake of Macronutrients, Minerals, and Vitamins Associated with Ultra-Processed Food Consumption.

Costa R, Oliveira A, Torres K, Souza A, Pereira G, Bezerra I Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024; 21(7).

PMID: 39063465 PMC: 11276910. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21070888.

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