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Ultra-processed food consumption and childhood allergic diseases: Increased risk of asthma onset in the SENDO Project
Understanding the relationship between diet and asthma is crucial, especially as genetic factors are already well documented. This research sheds light on the potential impact of nutritional habits, particularly the consumption of ultraprocessed foods (UPF), on asthma risk among children.
The study utilized data from 1546 participants in the SENDO cohort, who were prospectively recruited between January 2015 and June 2024. The cohort specifically included children aged 4 to 5 years. Initial assessments of UPF consumption occurred at baseline, with follow-ups conducted three years later. Information regarding asthma and other allergic diseases was obtained at the beginning and updated annually throughout the study period. Ultimately, the analysis focused on 691 participants, categorized into three tertiles based on their UPF consumption.
To ensure that only new cases were assessed, prevalent cases were deliberately excluded. The primary analysis employed survival analyses to calculate the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). After a follow-up averaging 3.4 years, the data revealed that the adjusted risk of developing asthma for each tertile of UPF consumption was 2.6% in T1, 9.9% in T2, and 7.6% in T3, with a statistically significant trend (p for trend: 0.03). The fully adjusted survival model indicated that children with higher UPF intake (T2 and T3 combined) had a notably elevated risk of asthma (HR 3.76; 95% CI 1.15–11.51, p = 0.02) compared with those in the lowest consumption tertile (T1). However, this increase in risk did not extend to allergic rhinitis (AA) or other allergic conditions.
In conclusion, this study supports the hypothesis that increased consumption of ultraprocessed foods may correlate with a heightened risk of asthma in school-age children.
Year: 2026
