LB075 - HIGHLY PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: INSIGHTS FROM A PILOT STUDY

LB075

HIGHLY PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION AMONG PATIENTS WITH RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS AND ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: INSIGHTS FROM A PILOT STUDY

M. Guney-Coskun^1,2, I. Alpat Yavaş^1,2,*, I. Aslan¹, I. Ses¹, M. Öztürk¹

¹School of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, ²Graduate School of Health Sciences, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye

Rationale: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) are chronic inflammatory conditions in which dietary factors may influence disease progression. Highly Processed Foods (HPF) have been implicated in promoting systemic inflammation. This pilot study aimed to evaluate HPF consumption among patients with RA and AS and to explore its association with lifestyle factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between March and May 2025 among adults who lived in Türkiye with confirmed RA or AS diagnosis. Participants completed an online questionnaire including sociodemographic data, the Primary Care Physical Activity Questionnaire, and the Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF). The sQ-HPF scores were dichotomized at the median to classify participants as low or high HPF consumers. Binary logistic regression was used to assess predictors of high HPF intake, including BMI, age, gender, smoking status, physical activity level, and belief in diet’s effect on symptoms. Data analysis was conducted using the IBM SPSS Statistics 21.0 program, and Spearman’s correlation assessed the relationship between sQ-HPF and BMI.

Results: The study included 77 participants (RA: n=36, AS: n=41; mean age: 42.6±10.4 years; 58% female). Mean BMI and sQ-HPF scores were 25.9±4.2 kg/m² and 5.1±3.1, respectively, with no significant differences between RA and AS groups (p>0.05). Over half (55.8%) were high HPF consumers, 63.6% were inactive, and 67.5% believed diet affects symptoms. No significant correlation was found between BMI and sQ-HPF (r=0.069, p=0.551), and logistic regression showed no significant association between BMI and high HPF intake (OR=1.000, 95% CI: 0.894–1.118, p=0.994).

Conclusion: High HPF consumption was common among patients with RA and AS, despite many believing diet influences their symptoms. The absence of association with BMI suggests behavioral rather than metabolic influences. These findings highlight the need for tailored dietary interventions in rheumatology care that focus on food quality and inflammation, beyond weight control. Further research should explore the impact of reducing HPF intake on disease outcomes.

References: Ciaffi, J., Mancarella, L., Ripamonti, C., D’Amuri, A., Brusi, V., Pignatti, F., ... & Ursini, F. (2025). Ultra-Processed Food and Its Impact on Bone Health and Joint Diseases: A Scoping Review. Nutrients, 17(7), 1188.

Erdoğan Gövez, N., Köksal, E., Martinez-Perez, C., & Daimiel, L. (2024). Validity and Reliability of the Turkish Version of the Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food Consumption (sQ-HPF). Nutrients, 16(15), 2552.

Noğay, A. E. K., & Özen, M. (2019). Birinci basamak için fiziksel aktivite anketinin Türkçe uyarlamasının geçerlilik ve güvenilirliği. Konuralp Medical Journal, 11(1), 1-8.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared