Maternal and Birth Characteristics Are Relevant to the Consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods in Young Adults: Results from the Nutritionists’ Health Study

Abstract

Background: One’s dietary pattern throughout life is established during the perinatal period, especially in the intrauterine environment. This study aims to analyze whether maternal and birth characteristics are associated with food consumption in young adults using baseline data from the Nutritionists’ Health Study (NutriHS). Methods: We employed cross-sectional analysis of data from 386 undergraduate nutrition students and nutritionists. Current food consumption was evaluated as per the NOVA classification. The maternal and birth factors included maternal age, parity, type of childbirth, health problems during pregnancy, prematurity, and birth weight, and multiple correspondence analysis of these variables was performed to identify patterns in them. Results: The energy contribution of ultra-processed foods was positively associated with the pattern characterized by participants whose mothers were 19 years of age or younger, primiparous, and had a vaginal delivery (β = 0.48; 95% confidence interval = 0.02, 1.66). Conclusions: We concluded that maternal age at birth was associated with the dietary patterns of adult children. Participants whose mothers were 19 or younger at birth had significantly higher consumption of ultra-processed foods in adulthood compared to those whose mothers were older.