Frequency of ultra-processed food consumption and self-reported noncommunicable diseases in adults from Asunción and Greater Asunción: A cross-sectional study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21744588Keywords:
ultra-processed foods, noncommunicable diseases, obesity, adults, ParaguayAbstract
Introduction: Ultra-processed foods are characterized by a high degree of industrial transformation, high palatability, and a nutritional profile associated with greater energy density, excess sugars, fats, and sodium, and lower overall diet quality. Their consumption has been linked to obesity, diabetes, and other cardiometabolic outcomes, making it relevant to describe consumption patterns in urban adult populations.
Objective: To describe the frequency of ultra-processed food consumption and the profile of self-reported noncommunicable diseases in adults from Asunción and Greater Asunción during 2023.
Materials and methods: A descriptive, prospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted. Seventy-two adults aged 20 to 59 years were included through non-probability convenience sampling. Data were collected with a Google Forms digital survey on ultra-processed food consumption habits, laboratory checkups, and noncommunicable diseases. Quantitative variables were summarized with mean and standard deviation, and qualitative variables with frequencies and percentages.
Results: The sample was mostly women (83.3%) and people aged 20 to 29 years. Independent work and middle socioeconomic level predominated. The most frequent pattern of ultra-processed food consumption was occasional, followed by frequent consumption. Among ultra-processed food types, sweets (37 participants) and sugar-sweetened beverages (26 participants) stood out. Most respondents reported regular laboratory checkups, although the most common tests were basic and complete checkups were uncommon. Regarding noncommunicable diseases, the most frequent response was having no diagnosed disease; among reported conditions, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia stood out.
Conclusions: Ultra-processed food consumption was common in this sample, with a predominance of sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages, in a context where the most visible self-reported noncommunicable diseases were obesity and hypertension. Findings should be interpreted as descriptive data from a local sample and not as evidence of a statistical association between consumption and disease.
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