{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,19]],"date-time":"2026-07-19T06:02:25Z","timestamp":1784440945431,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,9]],"date-time":"2026-02-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770595200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Open Research Fund Program of Changzhou Institute for Advanced Study of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University","award":["CPHM202302"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CPHM202302"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Sarcopenia, characterized by loss of muscle strength and mass, is a growing health concern. Identifying modifiable risk factors, such as diet, in early adulthood is crucial for prevention. This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary preference patterns and sarcopenia-related indicators in young and middle-aged adults. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 608 participants (median age: 34.0 years, IQR: 24.0\u201341.0 years) were included. Dietary preferences were assessed using a validated food preference questionnaire, and dietary preference patterns were derived via principal component analysis. The derived pattern scores were standardized for use in subsequent logistic regression models. Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured using a dynamometer, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI) was assessed via bioelectrical impedance analysis. Multivariate logistic regression was used as the primary analysis to evaluate associations, followed by exploratory subgroup analyses. Results: Six dietary preference patterns were identified. After adjusting for confounders, the \u201cUltra-Processed Food Preference\u201d pattern was significantly associated with low handgrip strength (OR = 1.302, 95% CI: 1.072, 1.581). This association was more pronounced in subgroups with medium-to-low income (interaction p &lt; 0.05). No significant associations were found between any dietary preference pattern and low ASMI. Conclusions: A preference for Ultra-Processed Food is independently associated with lower muscle strength in young and middle-aged adults, with the risk concentrated in specific sociodemographic and behavioral subgroups. These findings highlight the potential importance of addressing unhealthy snack choices early in life in the context of muscle health preservation strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu18040570","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,9]],"date-time":"2026-02-09T12:42:42Z","timestamp":1770640962000},"page":"570","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Dietary Preferences and Sarcopenia in Young and Middle-Aged Adults: A Population-Based Correlational Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Wenwen","family":"Du","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-9689-5295","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wen","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Minxia","family":"Lu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Out-Patient, Changzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changzhou 213003, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5597-764X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ming","family":"Zhou","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China"},{"name":"Laboratory for Digital Intelligence & Health Governance, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lifeng","family":"Tan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Out-Patient, Changzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changzhou 213003, China"},{"name":"Changzhou Institute for Advanced Study of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Changzhou 213003, China"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111561","DOI":"10.1016\/j.exger.2021.111561","article-title":"Aging, obesity, sarcopenia and the effect of diet and exercise intervention","volume":"155","author":"Colleluori","year":"2021","journal-title":"Exp. Gerontol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2636","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(19)31138-9","article-title":"Sarcopenia","volume":"393","author":"Sayer","year":"2019","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"412","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afq034","article-title":"Sarcopenia: European consensus on definition and diagnosis: Report of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People","volume":"39","author":"Baeyens","year":"2010","journal-title":"Age Ageing"},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"17","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cger.2016.08.002","article-title":"Pathogenesis and Management of Sarcopenia","volume":"33","author":"Dhillon","year":"2017","journal-title":"Clin. Geriatr. Med."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jang, J.Y., Kim, D., and Kim, N.D. (2023). Pathogenesis, Intervention, and Current Status of Drug Development for Sarcopenia: A Review. Biomedicines, 11.","DOI":"10.3390\/biomedicines11061635"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"389","DOI":"10.1016\/j.clnu.2007.03.008","article-title":"Loss of skeletal muscle mass in aging: Examining the relationship of starvation, sarcopenia and cachexia","volume":"26","author":"Thomas","year":"2007","journal-title":"Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155557","DOI":"10.1016\/j.metabol.2023.155557","article-title":"Sarcopenia in youth","volume":"144","author":"Jung","year":"2023","journal-title":"Metabolism"},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afy169","article-title":"Sarcopenia: Revised European consensus on definition and diagnosis","volume":"48","author":"Bahat","year":"2019","journal-title":"Age Ageing"},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02982703","article-title":"The developmental origins of sarcopenia","volume":"12","author":"Sayer","year":"2008","journal-title":"J. Nutr. Health Aging"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.24171\/j.phrp.2017.8.3.03","article-title":"Factors Affecting Sarcopenia in Korean Adults by Age Groups","volume":"8","author":"Bae","year":"2017","journal-title":"Osong Public Health Res. Perspect."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dodds, R.M., Syddall, H.E., Cooper, R., Benzeval, M., Deary, I.J., Dennison, E.M., Der, G., Gale, C.R., Inskip, H.M., and Jagger, C. (2014). Grip strength across the life course: Normative data from twelve British studies. PLoS ONE, 9.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0113637"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gao, Q., Hu, K., Yan, C., Zhao, B., Mei, F., Chen, F., Zhao, L., Shang, Y., Ma, Y., and Ma, B. (2021). Associated Factors of Sarcopenia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13124291"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1267","DOI":"10.1007\/s11325-019-01965-6","article-title":"Sleep duration and sarcopenia risk: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis","volume":"24","author":"Pourmotabbed","year":"2020","journal-title":"Sleep Breath."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Steffl, M., Bohannon, R.W., Petr, M., Kohlikova, E., and Holmerova, I. (2016). Alcohol consumption as a risk factor for sarcopenia\u2014A meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr., 16.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-016-0270-x"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Wang, B., Wei, Y., Shao, L., Li, M., Zhang, X., Li, W., Zhao, S., Xia, X., and Liu, P. (2023). Association of dietary patterns and sarcopenia in the elderly population: A cross-sectional study. Front. Aging, 4.","DOI":"10.3389\/fragi.2023.1239945"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1007\/s11914-024-00899-7","article-title":"Are Dietary Patterns Relevant for Reducing the Risk of Fractures and Sarcopenia?","volume":"23","author":"Welch","year":"2025","journal-title":"Curr. Osteoporos. Rep."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1186\/s12937-024-00921-9","article-title":"Validity of food and nutrient intakes assessed by a food frequency questionnaire among Chinese adults","volume":"23","author":"Zhao","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nutr. J."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.nutr.17.1.237","article-title":"Taste preferences and food intake","volume":"17","author":"Drewnowski","year":"1997","journal-title":"Annu. Rev. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jada.2006.11.005","article-title":"Food preference questionnaire as a screening tool for assessing dietary risk of cardiovascular disease within health risk appraisals","volume":"107","author":"Duffy","year":"2007","journal-title":"J. Am. Diet. Assoc."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"G\u0142\u0105bska, D., Skolmowska, D., and Guzek, D. (2021). Food Preferences and Food Choice Determinants in a Polish Adolescents\u2019 COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study. Nutrients, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13082491"},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"R401","DOI":"10.1016\/j.cub.2013.02.037","article-title":"Early influences on the development of food preferences","volume":"23","author":"Ventura","year":"2013","journal-title":"Curr. Biol. CB"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"32","DOI":"10.1017\/S0029665117001951","article-title":"Female hormones: Do they influence muscle and tendon protein metabolism?","volume":"77","author":"Hansen","year":"2018","journal-title":"Proc. Nutr. Soc."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"41","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jbspin.2010.02.025","article-title":"Glucocorticoid-induced myopathy","volume":"78","author":"Pereira","year":"2011","journal-title":"Jt. Bone Spine"},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"155533","DOI":"10.1016\/j.metabol.2023.155533","article-title":"Epidemiology of sarcopenia: Prevalence, risk factors, and consequences","volume":"144","author":"Yuan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Metabolism"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1186\/1479-5868-8-115","article-title":"Validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF): A systematic review","volume":"8","author":"Lee","year":"2011","journal-title":"Int. J. Behav. Nutr. Phys. Act."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2164","DOI":"10.1038\/s43587-025-01004-y","article-title":"A focus shift from sarcopenia to muscle health in the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2025 Consensus Update","volume":"5","author":"Chen","year":"2025","journal-title":"Nat. Aging"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1331","DOI":"10.1007\/s00394-021-02737-3","article-title":"Ultra-processed food intake is associated with grip strength decline in middle-aged and older adults: A prospective analysis of the TCLSIH study","volume":"61","author":"Zhang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eur. J. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70096","DOI":"10.1111\/jhn.70096","article-title":"The Impact of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption on Frailty and Sarcopenia: A Systematic Review","volume":"38","author":"Kanbay","year":"2025","journal-title":"J. Hum. Nutr. Diet."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"645","DOI":"10.1007\/s12603-017-0986-0","article-title":"Latent Profiles of Macronutrient Density and their Association with Mobility Limitations in an Observational Longitudinal Study of Older U.S. Adults","volume":"22","author":"Bishop","year":"2018","journal-title":"J. Nutr. Health Aging"},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"111744","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mad.2022.111744","article-title":"Advanced glycation end products in skeletal muscle health and sarcopenia: A systematic review of observational studies","volume":"209","author":"Granic","year":"2023","journal-title":"Mech. Ageing Dev."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"431","DOI":"10.1007\/s00726-012-1438-0","article-title":"Nutritionally essential amino acids and metabolic signaling in aging","volume":"45","author":"Dillon","year":"2013","journal-title":"Amino Acids"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"211","DOI":"10.1093\/ajcn\/nqab305","article-title":"Ultra-processed food consumption among US adults from 2001 to 2018","volume":"115","author":"Juul","year":"2022","journal-title":"Am. J. Clin. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1753-4887.2011.00456.x","article-title":"Global nutrition transition and the pandemic of obesity in developing countries","volume":"70","author":"Popkin","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nutr. Rev."}],"container-title":["Nutrients"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/18\/4\/570\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,9]],"date-time":"2026-02-09T13:02:29Z","timestamp":1770642149000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2072-6643\/18\/4\/570"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,9]]},"references-count":33,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2]]}},"alternative-id":["nu18040570"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nu18040570","relation":{},"ISSN":["2072-6643"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2072-6643","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,9]]}}}