Higher Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Associated with Increased Mental Health Symptoms in Adolescents

by | Jan 17, 2023 | 2022, Brain Health, Depression, Infant and Children's Health

Written by Taylor Woosley, Staff Writer. Findings of a cross-sectional study of 560 adolescent subjects shows that higher UPF consumption was associated with an increased presence of depressive symptoms, along with internalizing and externalizing problems. 

potato chipsMental health problems in childhood and adolescence are of great importance because of their prevalence and impact on different areas of the child’s life1. Globally, 10-20% of adolescents suffer from mental health conditions2. Adolescence is a key period of physical, social, and emotional changes, and nutritional status and physical activity may play a crucial role in preventing mental health problems and promoting well-being3.

The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has significantly increased, with children’s diets in the USA having shifted to contain about two-thirds of daily calorie consumption from UPFs4. UPFs are food products that undergo processing techniques and received additives, such as sweeteners and flavorings, and are nutritionally unbalanced, as they present high energy density, high fat density, and high sugar and sodium content5. Excessive consumption of UPFs in both children and adults has been associated with anemia, obesity, and food allergies, besides presenting long-term effects on children’s mental and physical health6.

Reales et al. conducted a cross-sectional study to explore the associations between UPF consumption and different domains of psychosocial functioning in adolescents. Additionally, specific sex effects on the associations were also assessed. Subjects (n=560) completed three self-report questionnaires regarding information related to age, sex, UPF and fruit and vegetable consumption, physical activity, and psychosocial functioning. Fruit and vegetable consumption was analyzed as the frequency and the quantity, while physical activity was assessed as the number of practice days during the week. Participants’ UPF consumption was categorized into quartiles to represent low (0-4), low-medium (5-6), high-medium (7-8), and high consumption (9-24). Psychosocial functioning was measured using the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-Youth self-report (Y-PSC), which has 35 items to analyze responses related to attention deficit, depressive symptoms, and behavior symptoms.

Differences in study variables between sexes was tested with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, with further testing using independent sample t-tests to evaluate differences among groups. Pearson correlation analyses was utilized to assess the association between UPF consumption, physical activity, and the consumption of fruits and vegetables. Levels of physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption between those in the low vs. high quartiles was compared using independent samples t-tests.

Subjects reported the consumption of 7.72 UPF over the course of 24 h, with higher total UPF consumption being observed in male adolescents. The average consumption of fruits and vegetables was 1.93 servings/day, and the average amount of physical activity was 2.9 days/week. Significant findings of the cross-sectional study are as follows:

  • Participants in the high quartile of UPF consumption showed lower consumption of fruits and vegetables compared to those in the lowest quartile (1.25 vs. 2.24 servings/day, respectively, p=0.027), but no differences in the level of physical activity (p>0.05).
  • Psychosocial impairment was noted in 26.2% of the participants. Specific subscales showed that 33.9% experienced internalizing problems, 3.9% externalizing problems, and 9.5% attention problems.
  • Female compared to male adolescents showed a higher presence of total psychosocial impairment and scored higher for all symptoms and problems, except for externalizing problems.

Results of the study show that total UPF consumption exhibited a trend towards a positive association with Y-PSC total scores and had a significant positive association with depressive symptoms and internalizing and externalizing problems. Study limitations include lack of information regarding the amount consumed of each individual UPF product category and lack of further information on intensity and duration of physical activity level. Future studies should continue to explore the effects of high amounts of UPF consumption on mental and behavioral health of adolescents.

Source: Reales-Moreno, Marta, Pietro Tonini, Rosa M. Escorihuela, Montserrat Solanas, Sílvia Fernández-Barrés, Dora Romaguera, and Oren Contreras-Rodríguez. “Ultra-Processed Foods and Drinks Consumption Is Associated with Psychosocial Functioning in Adolescents.” Nutrients 14, no. 22 (2022): 4831.

© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Posted January 17, 2023.

Taylor Woosley studied biology at Purdue University before becoming a 2016 graduate of Columbia College Chicago with a major in Writing. She currently resides in Glen Ellyn, IL.

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