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The evidence about the socioeconomic factors associated with the high consumption of ultra-processed foods using the NOVA classification is still poorly understood, especially in developing countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and assess their association with sociodemographic variables in individuals over the age of 18 in the Brazil. Cross-sectional study using data from the National Health Survey (NHS), 2019. UPF consumption was estimated by the sum of positive answers about the consumption of ten subgroups of UPF. Poisson regression was used to describe associations between UPF consumption and sociodemographic variables (sex, age group, race/skin color, income, living with partner, macro-region and area of residence). A total of 88,531 individuals were included. The prevalence of UPF consumption was 14.3% and was twice as high in young people (18-24 years old) compared to the older people (60 years or older), in lower income strata and in more developed regions of the country (region South and urban area). UPF are consumed with high frequency among Brazilian adults. Being male, younger, having a lower income and residing in developed regions are factors that increased UPF consumption.
Pereira et al. (Wed,) studied this question.