A 2026 survey of 128 Saudi children and teenagers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) found no significant relationship between ultra-processed food intake and overall quality of life.
The study was cross-sectional, meaning diet and quality of life were assessed at the same point in time. It can identify patterns, but it cannot establish whether eating more ultra-processed food affects quality of life—or whether quality of life influences eating habits.
What the survey found
Ultra-processed foods provided an average of 48.8% of participants’ daily calories. Unprocessed or minimally processed foods accounted for 39.8%, processed foods for 11.1% and added cooking ingredients for 0.4%.
Researchers found no meaningful correlation between the share of calories from ultra-processed foods and total quality-of-life scores. The correlation was 0.016 in the children’s ratings and 0.034 in the parents’ ratings, with neither result statistically significant.
None of the eight quality-of-life domains measured in the study showed a significant association with ultra-processed food intake.
Quality of life was lower than published US norms
Average total quality-of-life scores were 57.8 in the children’s assessments and 58.0 in parents’ assessments. The study compared these results with healthy norms of 84 and 82 from a large US reference sample.
School functioning had the lowest scores in both children’s and parents’ reports, while physical functioning had the highest. Children’s and parents’ responses agreed closely, with a correlation above 0.80.
The quality-of-life measure was the 23-question Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, which assesses physical, emotional, social and school functioning.
How the study was conducted
The research was led by Lina Alwaili and Abeer Alzaben at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh. Families were recruited through the Saudi ADHD Society, also known as the Ishraq Association, and King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz University Hospital.
Enrollment took place from January 2024 through December 2025. Of 145 families who completed the online survey, 17 were excluded because of implausible answers, leaving 128 children aged 8 to 18 for analysis.
Parents completed a validated Saudi food-frequency questionnaire. Software converted reported foods into estimated daily calories, which researchers categorized using the NOVA system of food processing.
Other patterns in the data
Children whose mothers and fathers had more schooling had higher quality-of-life scores. Scores did not differ by sex, household income, medication use, medication type or time since ADHD diagnosis.
The researchers also found weak associations between higher BMI-for-age and poorer functioning: children’s ratings showed lower school functioning, while parent ratings showed lower total quality of life. The reported correlations were −0.24 and −0.22, respectively.
The source also reported a borderline association between BMI-for-age and a smaller share of calories from ultra-processed foods. However, many statistical tests were conducted without correction for multiple comparisons, so that result should be treated cautiously.
Why the result does not settle the diet question
The study did not measure ADHD severity and did not adjust its comparisons for other factors, including income, education, medication or weight. The sample was small, exploratory and recruited through a limited set of organizations.
Diet and growth measures were reported by parents, and the study compared its quality-of-life results with published US norms rather than with Saudi children recruited at the same time. The source also notes inconsistencies in the reporting of medication counts and in the discussion of ultra-processed food and body measures.
Because the study had no advance power calculation, a modest association may have gone undetected. Most importantly, the absence of a correlation does not demonstrate that changing diet would have no effect on quality of life.
How this fits with earlier research
Previous studies have reported different diet-related patterns. A 2017 Spanish case-control study of 120 children found that children newly diagnosed with ADHD ate more sugar, candy and soft drinks, consumed fast food more often and followed a Mediterranean-style diet less closely than matched children without ADHD.
A nationally representative Israeli survey of 1,135 children aged 6 to 11 found that the 111 children with ADHD were more likely to consume above-median amounts of ultra-processed food after adjustment for age, sex, socioeconomic status and calorie intake. The researchers noted that the direction of the association could not be determined.
A 2024 longitudinal study of 3,206 Chinese adolescents linked instant noodles, sugary drinks and fried foods with lower quality of life, while fruit was linked with higher quality of life. That study used a different questionnaire and examined specific foods rather than the overall share of ultra-processed food.
Together, these findings show why results from different populations, study designs and dietary measures may not point to a single conclusion. The Saudi survey provides no evidence either way about whether changing a child’s diet improves ADHD symptoms or daily life. It does not contradict the general-health rationale for a diet built mostly around minimally processed foods, but it cannot test the effects of making such a change.
AI tools were used to assist with the preparation of this article under our editorial standards.
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