Associations between ultra-processed food consumption, work-related and mental health outcomes among staff at a private hospital in Türkiye

This study explored the relationship between ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and work performance, sleep quality, and mental well-being among hospital staff in Türkiye using a cross-sectional design. A total of 150 participants aged 18-65 were included. Data were collected using validated instruments: the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), and the Job Performance Scale (JPS). Participants were divided into three groups based on their daily UPF consumption: low (778.57 g/day). The mean UPF intake was 507.3 ± 288.1 g/day. Overall, 51.3% of participants had poor sleep quality. Mean PSQI scores were 5.05 ± 2.12 in the low UPF group and 5.48 ± 3.21 in the high group (p = 0.360). Participants in the high UPF group had a mean WEMWBS score of 60.04 ± 9.45, compared to 56.10 ± 7.02 in the low UPF group (p = 0.019). The high UPF group showed higher job performance scores (mean = 50.44 ± 4.93) compared to the moderate group (mean = 46.23 ± 7.27) and the low group (mean = 46.07 ± 7.25) (p = 0.016). While the findings suggest a positive association between UPF consumption and both mental well-being and job performance, these results should be interpreted with caution due to the cross-sectional nature of the study. Further research is needed to explore long-term effects and underlying mechanisms. Additionally, future research could examine whether short-term improvements in mood or energy from UPF consumption translate into long-term health tradeoffs.