Ultra-processed food and homemade fried food consumption is associated with overweight/obesity in Latin American university students during COVID-19

Objective: We estimated the association between the consumption of select ultra-processed food (UPF), homemade fried food and overweight/obesity in Latin American university undergraduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study. 4539 university students (73.6% female, mean age 22.5 ± 4.4) from 10 Latin American countries completed a self-administered online survey. UPF eating habits and homemade fried food were measured according to a validated survey. Height and body weight were self-reported. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated. A BMI ≥25 kg/m² was categorized as overweight/obesity. Ordinal logistic regression models were applied. Results: Snacks (36.2%) and homemade fried food (30.2%) had a higher prevalence of consumption than sugary drinks (22.5%) and fast food (7.2%). The greatest strength of association was found between fast food consumption [odds ratio (OR) = 2.16; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.63–2.85], sugary drinks [OR = 2.05; CI: 1.63–2.59] and homemade fried food [OR = 1.46; CI: 1.16–1.85] with overweight/obesity. Conclusion: Latin American university undergraduates present risky eating behaviors associated with overweight and obesity. Effective policies to promote healthy eating should be incorporated and issued from universities to reduce the consumption of UPF and promote homemade, healthier and more natural food.