Association between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Frailty in American Elder People: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study

• Published in: The Journal of nutrition, health & aging health & aging, 2022-07, Vol.26 (7), p.688-697
• Main Authors: Hao, J., Zhou, P., Qiu, Huichang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Body mass index; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet - adverse effects; Energy; Energy Intake; Food; Frailty; Frailty - epidemiology; Frailty - etiology; Geriatrics/Gerontology; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Neurosciences; Nutrition; Nutrition Surveys; Obesity; Obesity - epidemiology; Older people; Original Research; Overweight; Overweight - epidemiology; Primary Care Medicine; Processed foods; Quality of Life Research; Regression analysis; Snack foods; Thinness - epidemiology; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 1279-7707; 1760-4788
• DOI: 10.1007/s12603-022-1824-6

Objectives Our study aims to explore the association between ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and frailty in participants with different body mass indexes (BMIs). Design A cross-sectional study. Setting Data were collected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 1999–2000 and 2001–2002. Participants We analyzed data from 2,329 participants. Measurements Dietary data were obtained using 24-h dietary recall method. Frail status was assessed by modified Fried frailty phenotype. The association between the grams, energy, and energy proportion of UPFs and the risk of pre-frailty/frailty was estimated using logistic regression analysis, and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Participants were categorized into underweight-normal weight (BMI < 25 kg/m2), overweight (25 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 30 kg/m2), and obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) groups. The multiplicative interaction between BMIs and UPFs on pre-frailty/frailty was assessed using the logistic regression analysis. Results We analyzed data from 2,329 participants, and 2,267 (97.77%) of whom consumed UPFs. There were 1,063 participants in pre-frailty or frailty group and 1,266 participants in non-frailty group. In underweight-normal weight participants, every 100 kcal increase in energy of UPFs intake was associated with increased 0.08 times of pre-frailty or frailty risk (OR: 1.08, 95%CI: 1.00–1.16, P = 0.045), and every 10% increase in energy proportion of UPFs intake was correlated with a 0.02-fold increase in pre-frailty or frailty risk (OR: 1.02, 95%CI: 1.00–1.03, P = 0.018). Similar results were found in overweight participants, with OR of 1.06 (95%CI: 1.01–1.10) and 1.01 (95%CI: 1.00–1.02) for energy and energy proportion, respectively (both P < 0.05). This association was not found in obesity participants. Conclusion The energy and energy proportion of UPFs intake was positively associated with the frailty risk in underweight-normal weight and overweight people, indicating that population with BMI less than 30 kg/m 2 should pay more attention to reasonable diet and balanced source of energy intake.