Consumption of ultra-processed foods decreases the quality of the overall diet of middle-aged Japanese adults

Objective: To estimate the consumption of ultra-processed foods and determine its association with dietary quality among middle-aged Japanese adults. Design: Cross-sectional study using data from the Saitama Prefecture Health and Nutrition Survey 2011. Dietary intake was assessed using one- or two-day dietary records. Sociodemographic and lifestyle factors were obtained via self-administered questionnaire. Food items were classified according to...