Effect of satisfaction with social support, food literacy, and empowerment concerning the consumption of ultra-processed foods.

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of satisfaction with social support (SSS), food literacy (FL), and empowerment (E) concerning the consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) among adults and elderly individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). This is a subset of a larger cross-sectional study conducted between 2016 and 2018. Two out of 73 clusters were randomly selected. Socioeconomic conditions were assessed, and the scales used to evaluate SSS, FL, and E have been previously validated in Brazil. UPF consumption was estimated using a semi-structured food frequency questionnaire. A hypothetical theoretical model was developed. The SPSS and JASP programs were used for data analysis. Structural Equation Modeling estimated the effects of the latent variables SSS, FL, and E on UPF consumption. Bartlett's test, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure, and the following fit indices were calculated: chi-square (X²), chi-square per degrees of freedom ratio (X²/df), Comparative Fit Index (CFI), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI), Goodness-of-Fit Index (GFI), and Root-Mean-Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA). The average age was 62.25 ± 12.11 years, with the majority being women (68.10%). The fit indices indicated that the hypothetical model is plausible. Thus, SSS does have an effect on UPF consumption mediated by FL and E.