Table 3.

Relative contribution of ultra-processed foods (UPF, % of total energy intake) in relation to obesity and hypertension, stratified by education or age group, among Canadian adults aged ≥ 19 years, 2015 CCHS–Nutrition

Outcome	Stratified Models	n	UPF consumption (continuous)†	UPF consumption (tertiles)‡
			OR (95% CI)	Tertile 2, OR (95% CI)	Tertile 3, OR (95% CI)
Obesitya	High school or less	5327	1.01 (0.96–1.07)	0.93 (0.70–1.22)	0.95 (0.70–1.28)
	Trade/college/CEGEP	3667	1.05 (0.98–1.12)	1.23 (0.85–1.78)	1.35 (0.94–1.94)
	University diploma	3551	1.18 (1.09–1.28)***	1.17 (0.81–1.70)	2.17 (1.45–3.24)***
Hypertensionb	19-50 years	6080	1.16 (1.07–1.26)***	1.45 (0.87–2.41)	2.69 (1.68–4.31)***
	51–64 years	3317	1.04 (0.96–1.12)	1.09 (0.75–1.58)	1.25 (0.84–1.87)
	65+ years	4018	1.09 (1.03–1.16)**	1.54 (1.20–1.99)***	1.45 (1.07–1.96)*

*p < 0.05

**p < 0.01

***p < 0.001

^†Odds ratios per 10% increase in relative intake of ultra-processed foods (% of total energy intake)

^‡Tertile 1 (lowest) is the reference. Threshold values for tertiles of ultra-processed food intake were as follows: tertile 1: ≤ 38.5% kcal/day; tertile 2: 38.6–58.6% kcal/day; tertile 3: ≥ 58.7% kcal/day

Estimates presented in the table are odds ratios derived from logistic regression models generated separately for each health outcome and stratified by education level or age group

^aObesity models, stratified by education level, are adjusted for age, sex, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, income, residential area, immigration status, Indigenous identity, reporting group, measurement type

^bHypertension models, stratified by age group, are adjusted for sex, physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, income, educational attainment, residential area, immigration status, Indigenous identity