<![CDATA[Adolescents are nutritionally vulnerable, and their intake is crucial to avoid nutritional problems during growth. Adolescent food consumption can be obtained from various types of food, one of them ultra-processed food (UPF). This study aims to determine the relationship between ultra-processed food consumption patterns and nutritional status and blood pressure in Catholic Junior High School Sudiang adolescents and Christian Elim High School Makassar. Methods: This study is a quantitative descriptive study with a cross-sectional design. The sample was selected using a proportional random sampling technique of 195 adolescents aged 13-18. UPF consumption was collected using the Semi Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQ-FFQ). The research results show adolescents are overweight at 25.6% and obese at 21%; elevated blood pressure (BP) is 14.4%, and state hypertension (HTN) is 8.2%. In addition, obese adolescents with state 1 HTN were 17.1% and elevated BP by 24.4%, while overweight adolescents with state 1 HTN were 8% and elevated BP by 14%. There is a correlation between the amount of UPF consumption and nutritional status (p-value = 0.047). At the same time, the results were negative between the frequency of UPF consumption and nutritional status (p-value = 0.312), the amount of UPF consumption and BP (p-value = 0.289), and the frequency of UPF consumption and BP (p-value = 0.059). The study concludes a significant correlation between the amount of ultra-processed food consumption and nutritional status in adolescents. Further research and public health interventions are recommended to address the impact of UPF on adolescent health.]]>
