Socioeconomic Characteristics and Trends in the Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods in Korea from 2010 to 2018

Abstract

There is growing evidence for a global transition to a more highly processed diet. While the dietary share of ultra-processed foods depends on a country’s economic status, food choice and consumption are also influenced by the socioeconomic situation of individuals. This study investigated whether ultra-processed food consumption differed across socioeconomic subgroups and over time (2010–2018) in Korea. Cross-sectional data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010–2018 were analyzed. Food and beverages reported in a one-day 24 h recall were classified according to the NOVA food classification criteria. The dietary energy contribution of ultra-processed foods was high among men and urban residents, and increased with education and income level; additionally, it reached its peak in adolescents and thereafter decreased with increasing age. After adjusting the socioeconomic variables, such associations remained significant, except for income level. The overall contribution of ultra-processed foods increased from 23.1% (2010–2012) to 26.1% (2016–2018), and the same trend over time was observed in all age groups and socioeconomic strata. In the Korean population, ultra-processed food consumption differed by individual socioeconomic characteristics, but gradually increased over time, and this trend was consistently found in all socioeconomic subgroups. Future strategies to promote healthy food choices are needed for the Korean population.

A Systematic Review of Worldwide Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods: Findings and Criticisms

“…Regarding age, studies generally reported large variations amongst the age groups. However, UPF intake generally decreased with increasing age, with the highest levels of UPF intake observed in children and adolescents, and the lowest in older subjects [ 51 , 54 , 87 , 104 , 108 , 110 , 112 , 118 ] ( Table 3 ). Only five studies also stratified results based on body mass index (BMI) of the participants, generally finding a slight, but higher, UPF intake in subjects with the highest BMI (e.g., greater than 30 kg/m 2 ) [ 58 , 87 , 89 , 95 ] ( Table 4 ) [ 58 ].…”

Association between Emotional Eating and Frequency of Unhealthy Food Consumption among Taiwanese Adolescents

“…Parental education level can be used to reflect socioeconomic status. Family income is another indicator of socioeconomic status that should be adjusted in the regression model because a previous study demonstrated its association with UPFs consumption [ 20 ]. Unfortunately, however, our study lacks information on family income and family status, and this may be a limitation of our study.…”

“…UPFs have become a major part of diets in almost every corner of the world because they are widely available, cheap, and aggressively marketed [ 17 , 18 , 19 ]. At the individual level, consumption behaviors are also influenced by several factors, including socioeconomic determinants (such as sex, age, education level, income) [ 20 ], nutritional knowledge, and individual health status (such as physical and psychological well-being) [ 21 ].…”

“…Other research has shown that adolescents consume unhealthy food more than other age groups [ 20 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Emotional eating, defined as increased eating in response to negative or positive emotions, is a factor associated with the increased consumption of unhealthy foods [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”

Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Adult Mortality Risk: A Systematic Review and Dose–Response Meta-Analysis of 207,291 Participants

“…Many studies have assessed the amount of energy consumed from UPFs in different countries. Accordingly, the consumption of UPFs accounts for approximately 25–60% of total energy intake using individual-level data [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ]. UPF energy consumption was highest in the USA and the United Kingdom, while the lowest levels were found in Italy [ 11 ].…”