Sociodemographic characteristics and consumption of ultra-processed foods in vegetarians and non-vegetarians: A cross-sectional study in the Peruvian population

Introduction: The constant consumption of ultra-processed foods represents a threat to the health of populations, even for those who practice vegetarian regimen. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the sociodemographic characteristics and intake of ultra-processed foods in vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was applied. A total of 460 participants were considered, 87 vegetarians and 373 non-vegetarians. Recruitment was carried out during the month of July and September 2020, considering participants aged 18 to 59 years, residents of the three regions of Peru. The Student's t-test was used to contrast the means of the frequency of consumption of ultra-processed foods and dietary pattern, and the chi-square test was used to contrast proportions in the sociodemographic characteristics and intake of ultra-processed foods according to dietary pattern. A significance level of 0.05 was considered. Results: Vegetarians tended to be women (60.9%), young people aged 18 to 25 years (71.3%), residents of the coastal zone of Peru (83.9%), university students (85.1%) and with a monthly family income ranging from S/3,970 to S/12,660 (49.2%). In general, vegetarians showed significantly lower consumption of snacks, cookies, sugary and carbonated beverages and sweets compared to non-vegetarians (p <0.001). Finally, it was observed that, compared to non-vegetarians, there was a higher percentage of vegetarians who reported never having consumed ultra-processed foods, although consumption of snack foods was significantly higher in vegetarians than in non-vegetarians. Conclusion: Even vegetarians may have an unhealthy dietary pattern characterized by consumption of ultra-processed foods. There is a need to implement intervention strategies to improve the lifestyles of the study population.