AUTHOR=Mahajan Anu , Deshmane Aditi , Muley Arti 

TITLE=A Comparative Study on the Consumption Patterns of Processed Food Among Individuals With and Without Type 2 Diabetes

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 70 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2025.1607931

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2025.1607931

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=The study aims to observe the eating patterns and consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF) among individuals with and without diabetes Methods: A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted across Pune, India, with 100 individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and 208 without diabetes. A detailed Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) developed by NOVA-UPF Screener with 33 ultra-processed food items was used to understand the consumption patterns of UPF.Results: Most of the participants with diabetes have a habit of eating breakfast daily (68%), prefer lunch from home (72%), and 20% avoid eating at restaurants. While only 45.7% of the participants without diabetes have breakfast daily, and 88.4% prefer to eat lunch outside rather than homemade food. Comparative analysis shows that 33 UPFs were consumed significantly less by individuals with T2D than those without diabetes (p=0.000).The reduced intake of UPFs highlights greater dietary caution among individuals with T2D. Therefore, these findings emphasize the importance of promoting healthy eating habits and limiting UPF consumption among the general population, especially individuals without diabetes, to prevent the onset of metabolic conditions like diabetes.