(P13-008-25) Plant-Based Diets, Diet Quality and Ultraprocessed Food Consumption: Relationships Differ by Race/Ethnicity

Objectives: Interest in plant-based diets has grown alongside the expanding range and availability of highly processed plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. However, the effect of this changing market and rising public interest in plant-based eating on overall dietary habits remains unclear. The objective of this study was to understand how the relationship between ultraprocessed food intake, diet quality and plant-based diets in a nationally representative sample of US adults.

Methods: Data from a nationally representative sample of 7,910 adults >18 who participated in the 2017-2020 NHANES pre-pandemic survey was analyzed. Dietary data was collected using 24HR, and intake of plant foods was quantified using the USDA FPED serving equivalents. The HEI-2020 was used to assess diet quality. Plant-based diets were defined as diets with >50% protein from plant sources. Ultraprocessed foods (UPF) were quantified using the NOVA scale. All data were analyzed using SAS 9.4 survey procedures to account for the unequal sampling probability and complex survey design of the NHANES. All models were energy-adjusted and adjusted for age, sex, physical activity, educational attainment, and household income.

Results: Adults with plant-based diets consumed significantly fewer UPF overall (56 vs. 54% calories from UPF, p< 0.0001), but the relationships varied by race/ethnicity. Non-Hispanic (NH) white adults and Hispanic/Latino adults following a plant-based diet consumed a lower proportion of calories from UPF. No relationship between UPF consumption and plant-based diets was observed in NH- Asian adults, NH-black adults, nor multi-racial adults. Adults following a plant-based diet also had a statistically significant, but very slight, increase in diet quality across all race/ethnicity categories (NH-White 51 vs. 48; NH-Black 53 vs. 49, Hispanic/Latino: 55 vs. 52, NH-Asian, 59 vs. 53, multi-racial 55 vs. 47, all p< 0.05).

Conclusions: Plant-based diets are associated with a small, but statistically higher diet quality score and decreased consumption of UPF, but this relationship varies by race/ethnicity. Additional research is needed to further clarify these relationships.

Funding Sources: None