ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2021
Unhealthy Food and Psychological Stress: The Association between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Perceived Stress in Working-Class Young Adults.
Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 44 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
44 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.Nutrients · 2022Pooled it
- The Co-Evolution of Sleep and Diet: Toward an Emerging Framework of Evolutionary Chrononutrition in Circadian-Metabolic Health.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Review
- Associations Between Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, and Stress Among African American Adults Using Ecological Momentary Assessment Methodology: A Narrative Review.American journal of lifestyle medicine · 2026Review
- Article
- From concept to measurement: initial validation of the Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Scale.Eating and weight disorders : EWD · 2026Article
- Association between ultra-processed food consumption and odds of depression, stress, and anxiety in adolescent girls: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Ultra-processed food exposure and health outcomes: Current evidence, controversies, and future perspectives.EXCLI journal · 2026Review
- Ultra-processed food consumption, hedonic hunger, and sleep quality among university students: a food and nutrition literacy perspective.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Validation of a screener to assess ultra-processed food consumption in the adult Indian population: the Nova-UPF Screener (for India).The British journal of nutrition · 2025Article
- The relationship between ultra-processed food consumption and advanced glycation end products in university students: evidence from the skin autofluorescence method.BMC nutrition · 2025Article
- Association between ultra-processed food intake, night eating behavior, and sleep quality: a cross-sectional study from Türkiye.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2025Article
- Factors associated with ultra-processed foods consumption: cooking and food preparation skills and food literacy.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Movement and dietary behaviours and mental health among university students: the Health@NUS study.BMC public health · 2025Observational
- Obesity: Prevalence, causes, consequences, management, preventive strategies and future research directions.Metabolism open · 2025Review
- The Role of Psychological Factors in Young Adult Snacking: Exploring the Intention-Behaviour Gap.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Food, Quality of Life and Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Study with Federal Education Workers.Nutrients · 2025Article
- [Strategies for Weight Management in Children and Adolescents: Self-Regulated Nutrition, Family-School Collaboration, and Social Environment Optimization].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2025Article
- Comprehending the Epidemiology and Aetiology of Childhood Obesity: Integrating Life Course Approaches for Prevention and Intervention.Diabetes therapy : research, treatment and education of diabetes and related disorders · 2025Review
- Ultra-processed food consumption and cardiometabolic risk in Canada: a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian health measures survey.Nutrition & metabolism · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUltra-processed foods are industrial formulations made from food extracts or constituents with little or no intact food and often containing additives that confer hyper-palatability. The consumption of these products increases the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases. Stressed people may engage in unhealthy eating as a way to cope. This study aimed to verify whether ultra-processed food consumption was associated with perceived stress levels in industrial and retail workers from Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil.
methodsThis was a cross-sectional study carried out between July 2017 and August 2018. During the study period, 1270 participants completed a survey administered by an interviewer. Stress levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale. Information regarding weekly ultra-processed food consumption was collected. Ultra-processed foods were classified into four groups: sugary drinks; sugary foods; fast foods; and canned foods, frozen foods, or processed meat. The Student's
resultsFactors such as a young age, being unmarried, smoking, high-risk alcohol consumption, negative health perception, and high perceived stress level indicated higher rates of ultra-processed food consumption. Ordinal regression analysis showed that high stress levels were associated with increased odds of higher ultra-processed food consumption (odds ratio: 1.94; 95% CI: 1.54-2.45).
conclusionsThese findings could help identify appropriate target areas for interventions aimed at mental health promotion and healthier food consumption.
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