Dietary fiber intake and the consumption of ultra-processed foods while examining their influence on abdominal obesity among students

Introduction. In the era of digital technology, the consumption of ultra-processed foods increased; the natural or minimally processed foods that were usually consumed have been replaced by industrialized foods. Objetive. To evaluate the relationship between dietary fiber intake and the consumption of ultra-processed foods with abdominal obesity in schoolchildren from the San Antonio de Jicamarca educational institution. Material and methods. The research has a quantitative approach, non-experimental, cross-sectional design and correlational-causal level. The sample was made up of 123 schoolchildren aged 10 to 12, enrolled in the San Antonio de Jicamarca educational institution in Lima-Peru. Data collection was carried out during the period August-September 2023. Fiber intake and consumption of ultra-processed foods was quantified through the semi-quantitative consumption frequency survey that included portion size. To evaluate abdominal obesity, the abdominal perimeter was measured, according to the protocol established by the National Institute of Health of Peru. In order to evaluate the relationship between the variables, the non-parametric Spearman's Rho statistical test was used. Results. 100% does not cover your daily dietary fiber recommendation; 65.0% had a high intake of ultra-processed foods and 10.6% had an abdominal circumference with very high cardiovascular risk. When analyzing the relationship between fiber intake and abdominal obesity, a p value was obtained (p<0.05). When evaluating the association between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and abdominal obesity, a p value was obtained (p<0.05). Conclusion. Fiber intake has an inverse relationship with abdominal circumference. That is, the lower the fiber consumption, the greater the abdominal perimeter in schoolchildren. Likewise, the consumption of ultra-processed foods has a significant association with abdominal obesity.