Influence of eating behavior on consumption of ultra-processed foods in university students

Introduction: University students have changes in eating behavior resulting from concern with activities and academic training, which can lead to an increase in the consumption of highly palatable foods. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and the eating behavior of university students. Materials and Methods: Crosssectional study, carried out with 348 students from a public university. Socioeconomic, demographic, behavior and food consumption data were collected. The models were adjusted for age, body mass index and total energy intake. Analyzes were conducted using the SAS software, online version. Results and discussion: The average energy intake was 2,276 Kcal, 27.2% of which came from ultra processed foods. Regarding the analysis of eating behavior, we found that 32.3% of university students showed external eating behavior. External eating behavior was correlated with increased intake of ultra processed foods in both sexes. Women had a higher score for emotional intake, with an average of 33.2 points. Conclusion: Factors external to food are associate with increased consumption of ultra-processed foods.