Parental factors associated with US youth ultra-processed food outcomes: A systematic review.
Laurie Arena, Melissa Pflugh Prescott
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
In 30 seconds
This PRISMA-guided systematic review examined parental factors associated with ultra-processed food (UPF) intake, preference, selection, or access among US youth aged 0–19. Of 1,727 records identified, 11 studies were included: nine quantitative and two qualitative. Parental factors associated with youth UPF outcomes included education, female gender, parents’ own UPF and soda or fast-food intake, beliefs about food advertising, reward-based eating drive, greater child TV viewing, and the home food environment. Associations with parental substance use were mixed. The authors concluded that further research is needed.
Key findings
- The review included 11 studies: nine quantitative and two qualitative.
- Parental UPF intake, more frequent soda and fast-food intake, and belief in food advertising were among factors associated with youth UPF outcomes.
- Associations with parental substance use varied by timing, parent, substance, and child age.
- Parent age, living with a partner, household income, shared family meals, human milk exposure, and several reported parental attitudes or motivations showed null findings.
Why it matters
The review identifies family and home-context factors that may be relevant to understanding youth exposure to UPFs. It also shows that evidence is not uniform across parental characteristics, particularly for substance use, and that several commonly considered factors had null findings. These findings can help frame research into family-level influences while underscoring the need for stronger evidence before drawing firm conclusions.
What to keep in mind
Only 11 studies met the review criteria, and the evidence included both quantitative and qualitative research. The review reports associations, which do not establish that parental factors cause youth UPF outcomes.