The independent and combined associations between the intake of ultra-processed foods, sedentary behavior, and depressive symptoms in young adults

This research explores the relationship between ultra-processed food (UPF) intake, sedentary behavior (SB), and depressive symptoms among young individuals. Utilizing cross-sectional data from the Shenzhen Youth Health Cohort, the study included 1,461 participants, with 610 (41.8%) reporting depressive symptoms. The findings indicate that individuals in the upper quartiles of UPF intake (Q3 and Q4) exhibit a significantly elevated risk of depressive symptoms, with odds ratios of 1.60 (95% CI: 1.16–2.21) and 2.05 (95% CI: 1.48–2.85), respectively, when compared to the lowest quartile (Q1). Furthermore, participants engaging in sedentary behavior exceeding eight hours daily had a 1.75 (95% CI: 1.25–2.44) times higher risk of depressive symptoms compared to those with less than four hours of SB. The combined analysis revealed that individuals with both high UPF intake and sedentary time of six hours or more per day faced the highest risk, with an odds ratio of 2.31 (95% CI: 1.62–3.31) compared to those with low UPF intake and less than six hours of SB. The study concludes that both higher UPF consumption and increased SB are significantly correlated with depressive symptoms, with a synergistic effect observed when both factors are present. [NPID: Ultra-processed food, sedentary, depression, behavior, UPF]

Year: 2025

Reference: Ren, J., Zhou, L., Li, Y., Zhang, S., Xu, X., Chi, X., & Xie, H. (2025). The independent and combined associations between the intake of ultra-processed foods, sedentary behavior, and depressive symptoms in young adults. Frontiers in Nutrition, 12, 1675892. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2025.1675892

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