Factors associated with increase in consumption of ultraprocessed food in university students during social isolation - covid-19 pandemic

Objective: Investigate the prevalence and factors associated with increased consumption of ultra-processed foods among university students enrolled in public and private higher education institutions in the Brazilian urban center. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, with a sample of university students. Methods were used to address sociodemographic data, behavioral habits, anthropometric profile, and consumption of ultra-processed foods. The association between studied variables and increased consumption of ultra-processed foods was verified by bivariate analysis followed by Poisson regression, with robust variation. Results: The prevalence of increased consumption of ultra-processed foods during the period of social isolation in the population studied was 83.9% in 857 university students. Among university students, not practicing physical activity and increasing the order of ready-to-eat foods remained associated with an increase in the consumption of ultra-processed foods. Conclusion: The high prevalence of consumption of this type of food and the associations observed point to the need for health promotion actions aimed at university students in the period of social isolation.