Multidisciplinary Health Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Rua Hormindo Barros, 58, Quadra 17, Lote 58, Bairro Candeias, Vitória da Conquista, 45029-094 Bahia, Brazil.
Department of Natural Sciences, State University of Southwest of Bahia, Estrada Bem Querer, Km-04, 3293, Bairro Candeias, Vitória da Conquista, 45083-900 Bahia, Brazil.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 7;18(8):3863. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18083863.
Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations made from food extracts or constituents with little or no intact food and often containing additives that confer hyper-palatability. The consumption of these products increases the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. Stressed people may engage in unhealthy eating as a way to cope. This study aimed to verify whether ultra-processed food consumption was associated with perceived stress levels in industrial and retail workers from Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil.
This was a cross-sectional study carried out between July 2017 and August 2018. During the study period, 1270 participants completed a survey administered by an interviewer. Stress levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale. Information regarding weekly ultra-processed food consumption was collected. Ultra-processed foods were classified into four groups: sugary drinks; sugary foods; fast foods; and canned foods, frozen foods, or processed meat. The Student's -test or one-way analysis of variance was used to assess the differences in stress levels and ultra-processed food consumption. Ordinal regression was used to determine the association between the degrees of stress and ultra-processed food consumption levels.
Factors such as a young age, being unmarried, smoking, high-risk alcohol consumption, negative health perception, and high perceived stress level indicated higher rates of ultra-processed food consumption. Ordinal regression analysis showed that high stress levels were associated with increased odds of higher ultra-processed food consumption (odds ratio: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.54-2.45).
These findings could help identify appropriate target areas for interventions aimed at mental health promotion and healthier food consumption.
超加工食品是由食品提取物或成分制成的工业配方，几乎不含完整的食物，并且通常含有使食物更美味的添加剂。这些产品的消费增加了患慢性非传染性疾病的风险。有压力的人可能会通过不健康的饮食来应对。本研究旨在验证超加工食品的消费是否与巴西维多利亚达孔基斯塔的工业和零售工人的感知压力水平有关。
这是一项横断面研究，于 2017 年 7 月至 2018 年 8 月进行。在研究期间，1270 名参与者完成了由访谈员进行的问卷调查。使用感知压力量表评估压力水平。每周超加工食品消费的信息是通过收集获得的。超加工食品被分为四组：含糖饮料；含糖食品；快餐；以及罐头食品、冷冻食品或加工肉类。使用 Student's -test 或单向方差分析评估压力水平和超加工食品消费之间的差异。有序回归用于确定压力程度和超加工食品消费水平之间的关联。
年龄较小、未婚、吸烟、高风险饮酒、对健康的负面看法和高感知压力水平等因素表明超加工食品的消费率较高。有序回归分析表明，高压力水平与更高的超加工食品消费几率增加相关（比值比：1.94；95%置信区间：1.54-2.45）。
这些发现有助于确定适当的干预目标领域，以促进心理健康和更健康的饮食消费。
