PD076 - HIGHLY PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION, MICROBIOTA AWARENESS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM ONGOING STUDY

PD076

HIGHLY PROCESSED FOOD CONSUMPTION, MICROBIOTA AWARENESS, AND QUALITY OF LIFE: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS FROM ONGOING STUDY

B. Bakir^1,*, C. Oner¹

¹Nutrition and Dietetics, Izmir Katip Celebi University, İzmir, Türkiye

Rationale: In recent years, the increasing consumption of processed foods, driven by changing lifestyles and the influence of the food industry, is contributing to health problems, including chronic diseases and microbiota dysbiosis. This study aims to assess the consumption of highly processed foods (HPF) and their relationship with microbiota awareness (MA) and health-related quality of life (QoL).

Methods: This cross-sectional study is conducted via an online survey with adults aged 18-65 living in Izmir. Pregnant/breastfeeding women and patients with chronic diseases are excluded. While the target sample size is 1710 adults, this abstract presents preliminary findings of the 881 participants reached by March 28, 2026. Data were collected using a demographic form, the Screening Questionnaire of Highly Processed Food (sQ-HPFs), Microbiota Awareness Scale (MAS), and the Short Form (SF)-12 (Physical Component Summary-PCS and Mental Component Summary-MCS). BMI was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Data were analyzed with SPSS 27.0; significance was set at p<0.05.

Results: Participants were divided into low (<6, n=492) and high (≥6, n=389) HPF consumption groups based on sQ-HPF. It was found that individuals with high HPF consumption had significantly lower mean age and MAS scores. Similarly, the mean PCS and MCS scores were also lower in the high HPF consumption group (Figure 1). The mean BMI was similar between groups. Among participants who used probiotic supplements, most (87.4%) were in the low HPF group. Additionally, the sQ-HPF score was significantly correlated with age (-0.246), MAS (-0.451), PCS (-0.527), and MCS (-0.452).

Image:

Conclusion: The initial findings from the current study suggest that higher HPF consumption may be linked to lower MA and decreased QoL. Public health interventions that reduce HPF intake and increase MA could enhance health-related QoL in adults.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared