Consumption of ultra-processed foods and its association with added sugar content in the diets of US children, NHANES 2009-2014.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey analysis (NHANES)
PubMed 31364315 · doi:10.1111/ijpo.12563
What was done
Dietary intake data from US children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years in the NHANES 2009–2014 survey were analyzed. Foods were classified using the NOVA food classification system. Researchers evaluated the percentage of total daily energy contributed by ultra-processed foods and examined its association with added sugar intake and the prevalence of exceeding dietary guidelines (<10% and ≥20% of total energy from added sugars) using Gaussian and Poisson regression models.
What was found
Ultra-processed foods provided 65% of total caloric intake and 92% of energy from added sugars. Overall, mean energy from added sugars was 14.3%; 70.9% of children exceeded the recommended limit of 10% of calories from added sugars, and 18.4% consumed at least twice that limit. A 5.5 percentage point increase in ultra-processed food intake was associated with a 1 percentage point increase in added sugar content, with stronger adjusted effects observed in younger children.
Why it matters
This study shows that ultra-processed foods are the dominant source of added sugars in the diets of US youth, suggesting dietary reduction targets must focus on these products.
Limits
The abstract does not report the total participant count. The cross-sectional design cannot establish causality, and nutritional intake depends on self-reported dietary recall.
Cited by
- supports Ultra-processed foods provide roughly two-thirds of the added sugar and refined carbohydrates in the average Western diet.