Ultra-processed food consumption during childhood and asthma in adolescence: Data from the 2004 Pelotas birth cohort study

Author(s)

Azeredo, Catarina Machado ^{[1, 2]} ; Cortese, Marianna ^[1] ; Costa, Caroline dos Santos ^[3] ; Bjornevik, Kjetil ^[1] ; Barros, Aluisio J. D. ^[3] ; Barros, Fernando C. ^{[4, 3]} ; Santos, Ina S. ^{[3, 5]} ; Matijasevich, Alicia ^{[6, 3]}

Affiliation

^[1] Harvard TH Chan Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Nutr, Boston, MA - USA

^[2] Univ Fed Uberlandia, Sch Med, Av Para 1720, Bloco 2 U, Campus Umuarama, Uberlandia, MG - Brazil

^[3] Univ Fed Pelotas, Postgrad Program Epidemiol, Pelotas - Brazil

^[4] Univ Catolica Pelotas, Postgrad Program Hlth & Behav, Pelotas - Brazil

^[5] Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio Grande do Sul, Postgrad Program Pediat & Child Hlth, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[6] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Med Prevent, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: PEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY; v. 31, n. 1 OCT 2019.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Background Diet has been of interest for asthma; however, it remains unknown whether the consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) increases the risk of the disease. Our objective was to investigate whether UPF consumption during childhood was associated with wheeze, asthma, and severe asthma in adolescence. Methods We included 2190 11-year-old children from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort Study, without asthma at the age of 6 years. Consumption of UPF was assessed by Food Frequency Questionnaires at 6- and 11-year follow-ups. Wheeze, asthma, and severe asthma data were assessed at 11-year follow-up. We classified foods according to the processing degree in ultra-processed food. We used logistic regression to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), for the association between UPF consumption and the asthma outcomes. Results Cumulative incidence of wheeze and asthma between 6 and 11 years was 12.7% and 23.2%, respectively. In prospective analyses, comparing children in the highest and the lowest quintile of UPF consumption at age 6, we found no association with wheeze (OR = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.54-1.34), asthma (OR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.58-1.21), or severe asthma (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 0.62-2.03) in early adolescence. In cross-sectional analyses, comparing adolescents in the highest and lowest quintile of UPF consumption at 11 years, we found no association with wheeze (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 0.72-1.75), asthma (OR = 1.00; 95% CI = 0.7-1.44), or severe asthma (OR = 1.05; 95% CI = 0.59-1.86). Conclusion Our study provided evidence that UPF consumption during childhood or adolescence is not associated with asthma or wheeze among adolescents. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/13864-6 - Mental disorders, substance use and executive functions in early adolescence in a birth cohort
• Grantee: Alicia Matijasevich Manitto
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants