Ultra-processed foods consumption and diet quality among preschool children and women of reproductive age from Argentina.

Objective: To assess the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPF) and diet quality among preschool children and women of reproductive age from Argentina.

Design: Cross-sectional and nationally representative survey. The food items were classified according to the NOVA system. Consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains was estimated, and the energy and nutrients related to non-communicable disease (NCD) intake. Linear regression was used to assess the associations.

Setting: Argentina.

Participants: Children aged 2-5 years ( 7022), female adolescent aged 10-19 years ( 2165) and women aged 20-49 years ( 4414).

Results: UPF represented more than a quarter of total energy intake, 27 % in children, 31 % in female adolescents and 26 % in women. Across all age groups, the major contributors to UPF consumption were cookies and pastries (about 6·0-7·0 %), soft drinks (about 2·7-3·7 %), candies (about 1·8-4·6 %), and juices (about 1·3-1·7 %). The consumption of fresh vegetables, fresh fruits and legumes was negatively associated with UPF consumption. A significant positive association was found between the dietary share of UPF and the dietary content of NCD-promoting nutrients such as free sugars and total saturated and -fats. In contrast, a significant negative association was found with the content of NCD-protective such as fibre and protein.

Conclusions: UPF were associated with lower consumption of healthy foods and higher intake of nutrients related to NCD in children and women of reproductive age in Argentina. It is necessary to design food policies that simultaneously reduce the consumption of UPF while promoting the intake of fresh and whole foods to improve the dietary quality.