The association between ultra‐processed food consumption and low‐grade inflammation in childhood: A cross‐sectional study


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Mete B., Sadıkoğlu H. M., Demirhindi H., Melekoğlu E., Barutcu A., Makca T., ...Daha Fazla

Nutrition Bulletin, cilt.2024, sa.49, ss.538-549, 2024 (SCI-Expanded)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 2024 Sayı: 49
  • Basım Tarihi: 2024
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1111/nbu.12711
  • Dergi Adı: Nutrition Bulletin
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.538-549
  • Çukurova Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

AbstractThis study aimed to investigate the relationship between the amount of ultra‐processed food (UPF) in the diet and low‐grade inflammation in children. This cross‐sectional study was conducted in 50 healthy children recruited from children attending the Social Paediatrics Outpatient Clinic for follow‐up of normal developmental stages. Low‐grade inflammation was calculated by INFLA‐score, dietary intake by three 24‐h dietary recalls and dietary content analyses by BeBiS™ software. The mean age of the 50 children included in our study was 10.18 ± 3.98 years (5–17 years). UPF accounted for 24.5% of the total daily energy intake of children. In children with higher inflammation scores (INFLA‐score ≥ 2), the amount in grams of UPF and the percentage of total energy from UPF were found to be significantly higher (p = 0.030 and p = 0.015, respectively). A weak positive correlation was found between the INFLA‐score and the percentage of daily dietary energy intake coming from UPFs (r = 0.350, p < 0.01), the average daily energy intake from UPFs (r = 0.313, p < 0.05), and the average daily amount of UPF consumed (r = 0.260, p < 0.05). The linear regression model revealed that every one‐unit increase (1%) in the percentage of total daily energy intake coming from UPF caused an increase in β = 0.154‐unit in the INFLA‐score. It was found that obesity was not a mediator in the association between the percentages of total energy intake from UPF on the INFLA‐score, instead, the energy intake from UPF had a significant direct association with the INFLA‐score. The average amount of UPF consumed daily showed an increasing pattern in parallel with inflammation‐score quartile classes (Q1 to Q4) with 33.3% in Q1, 38.5% in Q2, 53.8% in Q3 and 66.7% in Q4 (p = 0.049). In conclusion, a positive association was found between low‐grade inflammation and UPF consumption in children, independent of obesity.