Association between the Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods and Asthma in Adults from Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Background: Ultra-processed Food (UPF) consumption can play a role in the pathogenesis and progression of asthma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the consumption of UPF and asthma. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 1857 adults aged 23–25 years from the Ribeirão Preto-SP birth cohort (1978/1979). The exposure variable was the consumption of UPF (expressed as their percentage contribution to energy intake—% total caloric value [%TCV] and their percentage contribution to the amount of food ingested—%grams), which was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Asthma was the outcome and was defined based on a positive methacholine challenge test and the presence of wheezing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath over the last 12 months. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to estimate the association between these variables. Unadjusted analyses and analyses adjusted for sex, age, household income, smoking, and physical activity level were performed. Results: The prevalence of asthma in the sample was 13.2%. The mean total consumption of UPF was 37.9 ± 11.2% TCV (corresponding to 35.1 ± 15.1% grams). There was no association between the consumption of UPF and asthma in adults. Conclusion: This study provides no evidence for an association between the consumption of UPF and asthma in young adults.