{
  "abstract": "Background/Objectives: Evidence on ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and health among East Asian preschoolers is limited. We examined associations with nutrient intake, anthropometry, dental caries, and bowel symptoms in Taiwan. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 822 children aged 2–6 years. A caregiver-reported 107-item food frequency questionnaire estimated UPF energy contribution using an adapted NOVA framework; anthropometric and dental data were available for 777 and 746 children, respectively. Results: UPFs supplied 15.12% of energy. Higher UPF intake was associated with lower fiber, protein, and several micronutrient intakes and higher saturated fat and sodium intakes, without significant anthropometric differences. Caries prevalence was 12.8% in Q1 and 31.2% in Q4 (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 2.27, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.48–3.48). Relative to Q1, Q3 showed higher prevalences of infrequent bowel movements (aPR = 1.48, 95% CI: 1.09–2.00) and hard stools (aPR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.01–1.49); Q4 associations were not statistically significant. Exploratory food-group analyses associated fruit intake with lower reported frequency of infrequent bowel movements and biscuit/snack intake with higher hard stool frequency. Conclusions: Higher UPF intake was associated with unfavorable nutrient profiles, dental caries, and selected caregiver-reported bowel symptoms, but not anthropometric status. Further longitudinal studies are warranted to clarify the temporal relationships between UPF consumption and these health outcomes during early childhood.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Pediatrics, Shin-Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 11101, Taiwan",
    "School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Fu-Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan",
    "School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, College of Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei 11031, Taiwan",
    "Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Nutraceutical Biotechnology, Shih Chien University, Taipei 10462, Taiwan",
    "Department of Education, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei 11101, Taiwan"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Shu-Chi Mu",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4519-4059"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Sing-Chung Li",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-4244-7911"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Shan-Ching Hsu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yi-Ling Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Yu-Tung Chang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Shu-Fen Liao"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Chiao-Ming Chen",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-0706-750X"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5364tehk8kqpn.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3390/nu18213670",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "5364tehk8kqpn",
  "issns": [
    "2072-6643"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3670",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-11-05",
  "publisher": "MDPI AG",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5364tehk8kqpn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-06T00:21:24Z",
      "native_id": "10.3390/nu18213670",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/18/21/3670"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "issn:2072-6643",
      "subfield": "nutrition"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Ultra-Processed Food Intake Is Associated with Dietary Quality, Dental Caries, and Constipation-Related Symptoms Among Preschool Children in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study",
  "title_text": "Ultra-Processed Food Intake Is Associated with Dietary Quality, Dental Caries, and Constipation-Related Symptoms Among Preschool Children in Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-07T00:21:23Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5364tehk8kqpn",
  "venue": "Nutrients",
  "versions": []
}