Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Ultra-processed food have been associated with multiple chronic diseases, yet recent data regarding its consumption in the U.S. and potential differences in intake across population groups is lacking. We determined the intake of ultra-processed food across diverse socioeconomic strata in the U.S. adult population. METHODS: We performed cross-sectional analysis of dietary intake among adults (>20y, N = 9759) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2015–2018. Data on dietary intake was collected by 24h dietary recall. Foods were classified as ultra-processed/non ultra-processed according to the NOVA classification. We determined intake of ultra-processed food (%kcal) in the overall sample, and stratified by education (