ArticlePublic health nutrition2024
Dietary intake of low-income adults in South Africa: ultra-processed food consumption a cause for concern.
Article in Public health nutrition, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Trial
- Modelling enablers and barriers to improve uptake of a fruit and vegetable voucher scheme (the fresh street community) in England: a TISM-MICMAC approach.BMC public health · 2026Article
- The association between climate-smart agriculture practices adoption and farm income and wealth of small-scale urban crop farmers in eThekwini municipality, with implications for food and nutrition security.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Tracking the nutrition transition in Tanzania, Ghana, South Africa, and Malaysia: analysis of per capita supply of energy, protein, and fat from 1982 to 2022.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Article
- Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Associations Between Dietary Intake and Depressive Symptoms in Young South African Adults: The African-PREDICT Study.Depression and anxiety · 2026Observational
- Article
- Availability, healthiness and sodium content of packaged and unpackaged foods and beverages in nigeria: a cross-sectional study.Journal of health, population, and nutrition · 2025Article
- Narrative Review of the Validity and Cross-Context Equivalence of Healthy Diet Metrics and Their Data Collection Methods for Global Monitoring.Current developments in nutrition · 2025Review
- Estimating price and expenditure elasticities for select foods and drinks in South Africa using a demand systems model.Journal of public health research · 2025Article
- An assessment of compliance with proposed regulations to restrict on-package marketing of packaged foods to improve nutrition in South Africa.BMC nutrition · 2025Article
- Ultra-Processed Foods Consumption Is Associated With Intakes of Critical Nutrients Related to Non-Communicable Diseases Among Adults in Dakar, Senegal.International journal of public health · 2025Article
- Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Among College Students and Their Association With Body Composition, Bowel Movements and Menstrual Cycle.International journal of public health · 2025Article
- Association of ultra-processed foods with phenotypic age acceleration in US adults: a mediation analysis of body mass index in the NHANES.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Safety and Quality Improvement of NaCl-Reduced Banana and Apple Fermented withFoods (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Bundling of unhealthy food products in Johannesburg, South Africa: an exploratory study.Health promotion international · 2024Article
- Ultra-Processed Foods and Nutritional Intake of Children and Adolescents from Cantagalo, São Tomé and Príncipe.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Quantitative Assessment of the Inadequate Intake of Macronutrients, Minerals, and Vitamins Associated with Ultra-Processed Food Consumption.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Observational
- Explaining socioeconomic inequality in food consumption patterns among households with women of childbearing age in South Africa.PLOS global public health · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveGiven the rapidly changing food environment and proliferation of ultra-processed foods (UPF) in South Africa (SA), this study aimed to critically evaluate dietary quality and adequacy of low-income adults using the Nova classification system and WHO and World Cancer Research Fund dietary guidelines.
designSecondary household data and 1-d 24-h recalls were analysed from two cross-sectional studies conducted in 2017-2018. Foods consumed were classified according to the Nova classification system. Compliance with WHO dietary guidelines and UPF consumption trends were evaluated.
settingThree low-income areas (Langa, Khayalitsha and Mount Frere) in SA were included.
participantsIn total, 2521 participants (18-50 years) were included in the study.
resultsParticipants had a mean energy intake of 7762 kJ/d. Most participants were within the acceptable WHO guideline range for saturated fat (80·4 %), total fat (68·1 %), Na (72·7 %) and free sugar (57·3 %). UPF comprised 39·4 % of diets among the average adult participant. Only 7·0 % of all participants met the WHO guideline for fruit and vegetables and 18·8 % met the guideline for fibre. Those within the highest quartile of share of energy from UPF consumed statistically higher amounts of dietary components to limit and were the highest energy consumers overall.
conclusionsLow-income adults living in SA are consuming insufficient protective dietary components, while UPF consumption is prevalent. Higher UPF consumers consume larger amounts of nutrients linked to increased chronic disease risk. Policy measures are urgently needed in SA to protect against the proliferation of harmful UPF and to promote and enable consumption of whole and less UPF.
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