Ultra-processed food intake during pregnancy and perinatal depression in a Mediterranean cohort
Abstract
Purpose: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, including poor mental health, but evidence remains limited in pregnant women. We aimed to examine associations between UPF consumption during pregnancy and perinatal depression (PND) symptoms.
Methods: Prospective observational study of women recruited during their first trimester of pregnancy (2018-2021) as part of the Barcelona Life Study Cohort. Diet was assessed from 20 weeks of pregnancy using a 114-item food frequency questionnaire. UPF consumption was defined by the Nova classification. The presence of PND symptoms was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at two months postpartum, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptoms. Associations were assessed using linear regression and generalised additive models, adjusting for potential confounders including sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Analyses were conducted both continuously and by UPF quartile expressed as a percentage of total food intake by weight.
Results: In 726 participants, the median share of the diet coming from UPF was 17.9%. Higher quartiles of UPF consumption showed higher EPDS scores at most levels of adjustment compared to the lowest quartile (Q1): EPDS scores were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.04, 1.55) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.07, 1.59) points higher in Q3 and Q4 (respectively). UPF dairy products and sweet drinks appeared to drive the associations, with a non-linear J-shape association for dairy, while pre-packaged meals showed an inverse association with EPDS scores. Higher UPF intake was also associated with higher EPDS scores at 32 weeks gestation.
Conclusions: Higher UPF consumption during pregnancy was associated with greater PND symptoms. Differences by UPF subgroups were observed. These findings highlight the need for nutritional policy and population-level measures that support maternal perinatal mental health.
Key messages: • This research extends the evidence linking ultra-processed food intake to perinatal mental health, particularly important given rising global ultra-processed food consumption.
• This work suggests population-level policies and strategies for maternal health should account for ultra-processed food intake in relation to perinatal mental health.
Related
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- Beyond Perinatal Mood: Breadth of Psychiatric Symptoms and Delay Discounting as Correlates of Mothers' Relational Reports from Pregnancy Through Adult Children
- Global research landscape and emerging frontiers of ultra-processed food intake and cardiometabolic health: a bibliometric and knowledge-mapping analysis (2015-2025).
BibTeX
@article{taylor2026ultraprocessed,
title = {{Ultra-processed food intake during pregnancy and perinatal depression in a Mediterranean cohort}},
author = {E Taylor and G Lugon and C Awad and P Jimenez-Arenas and M Ferrer and J Júlvez and O Contreras-Rodríguez and S Gonzalez-Palacios and J Sunyer and C Lassale},
journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.935},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.935},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ultra-processed food intake during pregnancy and perinatal depression in a Mediterranean cohort
AU - E Taylor
AU - G Lugon
AU - C Awad
AU - P Jimenez-Arenas
AU - M Ferrer
AU - J Júlvez
AU - O Contreras-Rodríguez
AU - S Gonzalez-Palacios
AU - J Sunyer
AU - C Lassale
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - The European Journal of Public Health
DO - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.935
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.935
AB - Purpose: Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes, including poor mental health, but evidence remains limited in pregnant women. We aimed to examine associations between UPF consumption during pregnancy and perinatal depression (PND) symptoms. Methods: Prospective observational study of women recruited during their first trimester of pregnancy (2018-2021) as part of the Barcelona Life Study Cohort. Diet was assessed from 20 weeks of pregnancy using a 114-item food frequency questionnaire. UPF consumption was defined by the Nova classification. The presence of PND symptoms was measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) at two months postpartum, with higher scores indicating greater depressive symptoms. Associations were assessed using linear regression and generalised additive models, adjusting for potential confounders including sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Analyses were conducted both continuously and by UPF quartile expressed as a percentage of total food intake by weight. Results: In 726 participants, the median share of the diet coming from UPF was 17.9%. Higher quartiles of UPF consumption showed higher EPDS scores at most levels of adjustment compared to the lowest quartile (Q1): EPDS scores were 0.79 (95% CI: 0.04, 1.55) and 0.83 (95% CI: 0.07, 1.59) points higher in Q3 and Q4 (respectively). UPF dairy products and sweet drinks appeared to drive the associations, with a non-linear J-shape association for dairy, while pre-packaged meals showed an inverse association with EPDS scores. Higher UPF intake was also associated with higher EPDS scores at 32 weeks gestation. Conclusions: Higher UPF consumption during pregnancy was associated with greater PND symptoms. Differences by UPF subgroups were observed. These findings highlight the need for nutritional policy and population-level measures that support maternal perinatal mental health. Key messages: • This research extends the evidence linking ultra-processed food intake to perinatal mental health, particularly important given rising global ultra-processed food consumption. • This work suggests population-level policies and strategies for maternal health should account for ultra-processed food intake in relation to perinatal mental health.
SN - 1101-1262
SN - 1464-360X
ER -