Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Mental Health and Sleep Quality in Turkish Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

TL;DR

This study finds that eating more ultra-processed foods is linked to worse mental health and poorer sleep quality in Turkish adults.

Contribution

The study establishes a direct link between ultra-processed food consumption and mental health and sleep outcomes in a Turkish population.

Findings

High ultra-processed food consumption correlates with higher depression, anxiety, and stress scores.

Ultra-processed food consumption is strongly linked to poor sleep quality.

Mental well-being scores decrease with higher ultra-processed food consumption.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Ultra-processed foods are thought to affect sleep and mental health. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between ultra-processed food consumption and mental health (mental well-being, depression, anxiety, and stress) and sleep quality in Turkish adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study (n = 2935), the status of adult individuals was determined via the Short Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF), the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Pearson correlation and multivariate path analysis were used to examine the relationships between the scales. Results: Forty-six percent of the participants had a minimal level of depression, and the vast majority of participants had poor sleep quality (84%). According to the sQ-HPF classification, individuals exhibiting high consumption had higher DASS-21, BDI, and PSQI scores but lower WEMWBS scores than individuals exhibiting low consumption (p < 0.001). The sQ-HPF was found to have independent and significant associations with mental well-being, depression, mood symptoms, and sleep quality. A 1-unit increase in the total sQ-HPF score led to a 0.26-unit decrease in the WEMWBS score (β = −0.05; p = 0.004). In the model established for depression (BDI), a 1-unit increase in sQ-HPF corresponded to a 0.32-unit increase in the BDI score (β = 0.09; p < 0.001). Similarly, sQ-HPF was found to be a positive and significant predictor of the total DASS-21 score (β = 0.11; p < 0.001). The sQ-HPF total score showed the strongest positive correlation with impaired sleep quality, with a 1-unit increase in sQ-HPF leading to a 0.13-unit increase in the PSQI score (β = 0.15; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with poorer mental health and sleep quality, regardless of age, sex, and socioeconomic factors.

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