A Regional Analysis of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health Outcomes in Adolescents
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2590Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between ultra processed food (UPF) consumption and general mental health among adolescents in Central Ohio in light of the rising concern regarding the decline in mental health among teens. Previous studies conducted in other countries have shown a significant association between UPF consumption and mental health outcomes in adolescents, but there is no research on US adolescents, where UPFs may be chemically different than those in other countries. The survey was administered from February 24 to March 7 and resulted in a sample size of 54 responses. Part 1 of the survey asked respondents about their weekly UPF consumption and Part 2 asked them to respond to the general mental health section of the GHQ-12 scale. The results show that there is a weak positive correlation (r= 0.2) between UPF consumption and general mental health. Higher UPF consumption was associated with worse mental health outcomes among adolescents, but the weak correlation demonstrates that other factors are likely to substantially contribute to adolescent mental health. Limitations suggest the study was susceptible to self-reporting biases. Future research should explore specific components of American UPFs, such as additives and sugar content, and examine confounding factors like stress and food insecurity. These findings imply that while UPF consumption may influence adolescent mental health, other lifestyle factors must also be considered.
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