Time changes in the dietary contribution of ultra-processed foods (% or total energy intake) according to sociodemographic variables
| Variables | 2007–2008 | 2009–2010 | 2011–2012 | P value for linear trend |
| Gender | ||||
| Male | 57.3 | 58.8 | 59.7 | 0.0368 |
| Female | 57.9 | 58.9 | 59.6 | 0.1834 |
| Age group | ||||
| 2–9 | 63.4 | 63.9 | 65.4 | 0.4518 |
| 10–19 | 64.9 | 67.0 | 68.3 | 0.0128 |
| 20–39 | 58.0 | 59.2 | 59.9 | 0.3529 |
| 40–59 | 54.2 | 55.0 | 56.3 | 0.3821 |
| ≥60 | 52.1 | 54.2 | 54.0 | 0.1800 |
| Education | ||||
| Less than high school | 58.0 | 58.6 | 60.4 | 0.1632 |
| High school | 58.4 | 60.2 | 61.1 | 0.0122 |
| College | 54.4 | 55.9 | 56.0 | 0.4667 |
| Family income-to-poverty ratio† | ||||
| ≤1.30 | 60.6 | 60.9 | 62.6 | 0.1910 |
| 1.31–3.50 | 57.7 | 59.5 | 60.1 | 0.0380 |
| >3.50 | 56.1 | 57.4 | 57.5 | 0.2310 |
| Ethnicity | ||||
| Non-Hispanic white | 57.9 | 59.4 | 60.4* | 0.0749 |
| Non-Hispanic black | 61.6 | 61.1 | 63.6 | 0.1512 |
| Mexican-American | 56.4 | 58.4 | 58.3 | 0.0501 |
| Other Hispanic | 51.4 | 55.3 | 53.1 | 0.2563 |
| Other Race | 47.4 | 50.5 | 51.0 | 0.4002 |
| Total | 57.6 | 58.9 | 59.7 | 0.038 |
US population aged ≥2 years (NHANES 2007–2012).
*P<0.05 Wald test for difference in consumption between the first (2007–2008) and the last (2011–2012) cycles.
†Income-to-poverty ratios represent the ratio of family or unrelated individual income to their appropriate poverty threshold. Categories based on SNAP eligibility.38
NHANES, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; SNAP, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.