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Food Science and Nutrition (Poster Session)

(P09-003-24) Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Its Components Among Peruvian Adults

Sunday, June 30, 2024
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM CT
Location: Poster Board 281

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Carla Tarazona Meza, MPH, LN

    PhD candidate
    Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
    Baltimore, Maryland, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • AA

    Anthony Israel Aquino, N/A

    Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia
    Peru, Lima, Peru

    • Co-Author(s)

  • KC

    Katherine Curi-Quinto, PhD

    Researcher
    Nutritional Research Institute & Nutrition School of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas
    Lima, Lima, Peru

Disclosure(s):
Carla Tarazona Meza, MPH, LN: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: To evaluate the association between ultra-processed foods consumption and the prevalence of i) metabolic syndrome (MS), ii) individual MS components, and iii) combination of MS components among Peruvian adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using dietary, biochemical, clinical, and anthropometric secondary data from the nationally representative Food and Nutrition Surveillance by Life Stages Survey (2017-2018) in Peruvian adults aged 18 to 59 yrs. Metabolic syndrome (MS) was defined following NCEP ATP III criteria, when 3 or more out of 5 following risk factors were recorded: high fasting plasmatic glucose (FPG, ≥100 mg/dl), high triglycerides (TG, ≥150 mg/dl), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL, ≤40/50 mg/dl for male/female), high blood pressure (BP, ≥130/85 mmHg), and high waist circumference (WC, ≥102/88 cm for male/female. Ultra-processed foods (UPF) were classified using the NOVA system from a single 24-hour dietary recall. UPF consumption was calculated as a percentage relative to the daily total energy intake. We estimated the prevalence ratio (PR) using a multivariable Poisson regression model with each risk factors and the most frequent combination of MS components.

Results: 456 participants with a mean age of 36.5±11.6 years had complete information. The proportion of MS was 49.3%. The UPF consumption median was 204.4 (IQR: 100.3 – 373.2) kcal/day. Most frequent combination of MS components in each subgroup was FPG at 65.8%, HDL+FPG at 67.6%, HDL+FPG+TG at 47.1%, and HDL+FPG+TG+WC at 67.7%. In crude analysis, UPF was no associated with MS. In the multivariable regression, UPF was associated with FPG (PR: 1.04; CI95%: 1.01-1.07) adjusted for sex, age, BMI, total energy, history of excess weight, and sociodemographic factors; and not associated with other single risk factor. Finally, UPF was not associated with each combination of MS components.

Conclusions: The combination of risk factors suggests that the most frequent combination starts with dyslipidemia, dysglycemia, and abdominal obesity in adults. UPF consumption was associated with just glucose level. So, as a part of multiple interventions, eating less UPF is necessary to reduce the accumulation of risk factors. Further, longitudinal studies are necessary to better understand the extent of MS related to diet.

Funding Sources: Fogarty International Center