Level of Understanding and Consumption of Ultra-processed Food in a Mediterranean Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract Background and Aims Since the population may not be aware of UPF consumption as a result of ignorance or non-recognition, this study aimed to ascertain the main characteristics of subjects regarding their knowledge of different easily-acquired foods through a questionnaire in Google Forms format with 52 questions. Secondary objectives were to determine whether the profile of UPF consumers can be defined based on sex, age, sociodemographic factors and lifestyle. Methods and Results Responses were received from 1,037 participants from a convenience sample; of these, 83 (8.0%) were sporadic or non-users and 954 (92.0%) frequent UPF consumers. The participants of the upper tertile correctly matched >12 food items, those of the medium tertile 12-9 and those of the lower tertile Conclusions These findings highlight the high consumption and low degree of awareness of UPF among consumers based mainly on food composition.