A study carried out by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) links the consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages with psychosocial problems associated with mental health in adolescents.
The research was carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) and the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI).
The Faculty of Medicine and the Institute of Neurosciences, both from the UAB, and the Barcelona Public Health Agency have also collaborated, and the habits of half a thousand Spanish adolescents between 13 and 18 years of age have been analysed.
According to the study, the purchase of ultra-processed food and beverages has tripled in Spain in recent decades, and adolescents are the main consumers of this type of industrial products characterized by the low amount of nutrients, high caloric content and the presence of additives that make them very attractive, tasty and addictive.
The report analyzes the relationship between the intake of ultra-processed foods and psychosocial difficulties -such as low mood, feelings of anxiety or attention problems-, or other behavior problems with others, taking into account the daily consumption of fruit and vegetables and the level of weekly physical activity of the participants, variables with contrasting positive effects for mental health.
The research showed a direct association between a high consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages, emotional distress and behavior problems, and highlighted the association with the low mood reported by the adolescents who participated in the study.
Most of the participants indicated having consumed sausages, cookies and processed meats (50-60%) and chocolate products, snacks, chocolate drinks and sauces (40-50%).
Regarding the consumption of fruits and vegetables, the adolescents declared an average consumption of 1.93 servings/day, far from the recommended five servings per day, and they stated that they performed physical activity an average of 2.9 days a week.
In addition, 26.2% of the participants presented some type of psychosocial problem: 33.9% related to emotional discomfort, mainly depression or anxiety, 9.5% related to attention problems and 3.9% related to behavioral problems.
By gender, girls showed greater psychosocial problems in all spheres (26.4% vs. 22.2%, respectively), especially in relation to low mood and feelings of anxiety, except for behavioral problems, which were similar between both sexes.
