Association Between Ultra-Processed Food Consumption and Cognitive Performance Among Adolescent Students From Underdeveloped Cities in Brazil: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objectives: The association between ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption and cognitive performance needs to be better characterized in adolescents, especially in lowincome settings, where the cost of human capital is high. This study investigated the association between cognitive performance and UPF in adolescents from the countryside of the Brazilian Northeast. Methods: Adolescents (15-18 years old) from three public high schools were included. Food intake was assessed using three 24-hour dietary recalls. The classification of foods as UPF was determined according to the Nova classification. Cognitive performance was evaluated using the Non-Verbal General Intelligence Test. Results: 116 adolescents were included, of which 50 (43.1%) showed low cognitive performance. The average energy intake was 1973.5 kcal, with 24.2% coming from UPF. Participants with low cognitive performance consumed 26.5% (95% CI: [22.2; 30.7]%) of daily energy intake from UPF compared to 22.5% ([18.8; 26.2]%) of those with mediumhigh cognitive performance (P = 0.17), without differences in energy and macronutrient intake. Conclusion: Despite similar UPF consumption compared to the Brazilian average, no association was found between UPF consumption and cognitive performance in this lowincome adolescent sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]