Systematic review and meta-analysis of the most common processed foods consumed by Iranian children

Abstract

Background: The trend of increasing overweight and obesity among children is a huge burden on health systems. In this regard, the growing availability of processed foods, often energy dense and nutrient poor, has become a major concern. Changing this trend will require evidence-based policies. Aims: This systematic review aimed to identify the most common processed/ultraprocessed foods consumed by 4–12-year-old Iranian children. Methods: We searched PubMed, Scopus and Web of science, as well as Persian scientific search engines, including Iran Research Information System, Scientific Information Database and Mag-Iran.We also assessed grey literature, that is, national studies and papers presented at relevant Iranian congresses. All data collected from studies were converted to daily servings (S/D). Mean and standard deviations of the included results were combined by performing meta-analysis with a random effects model. The I2 test was used to compute heterogeneity. Egger’s test was used to assess publication bias. Results: Ten studies with 67 093 children were included in this review. The meta-analysis demonstrated that the highest consumption of processed foods belonged to the sugars and sweets group with 8.01 S/D, followed by oils, and biscuits and cakes with 5.58 S/D and 3.33 S/D, respectively. Conclusion: Given the high consumption of less healthy processed foods, robust policies to support healthy eating and help improve Iranian children’s food environment are recommended.