Study links excessive screen time and ultra-processed foods in early childhood to increased ADHD risk

Research from the University of Navarra and Fundación Mapfre reveals that high screen exposure and diets rich in ultra-processed foods may be associated with a greater likelihood of ADHD symptoms in young children, prompting calls for lifestyle changes.

A study from the University of Navarra and Fundación Mapfre suggests that two everyday habits in early childhood, long screen exposure and a diet heavy in ultra-processed foods, may be linked to a greater likelihood of screening positive for possible attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. The work, carried out within the SENDO Project, followed 568 children aged four and five at the outset for about two years and looked at how patterns in diet, sleep, movement and sedentary behaviour related to later attention and conduct symptoms.

The researchers found that children who spent two hours or more a day in front of screens had a relative risk of 2.16 of meeting screening criteria for possible ADHD when compared with those who used digital devices for less than one hour a day. Children with a higher intake of ultra-processed foods also scored more poorly on measures linked to hyperactivity, inattentiveness, peer relationships and prosocial behaviour. Because the research was observational, it cannot prove that either habit causes ADHD, but it does add to a growing body of evidence that lifestyle factors may shape neurodevelopment.

That broader concern has been echoed in recent international research. A Brazilian study published in June 2026 found that children who consistently ate more ultra-processed foods had significantly higher ADHD symptom scores than those who ate less. In March 2026, a separate Israeli study reported that children with a physician diagnosis of ADHD consumed more ultra-processed food than their peers without the condition. Earlier, a 2024 study in JAMA Pediatrics found that homes with a larger share of ultra-processed foods were associated with a stronger attentional bias towards those foods in children, suggesting that the domestic food environment may influence both preference and attention.

The Spanish researchers said the possible explanations are likely to be indirect and cumulative rather than simple. On screen use, they pointed to the appeal of fast-moving, highly rewarding digital content and to the possibility that long periods online can displace sleep, physical activity and free play, all of which support healthy brain development. On diet, they highlighted the gut microbiota, inflammation and possible changes in gene expression as plausible pathways, while stressing that these mechanisms have not been shown directly in the children studied.

For parents and caregivers, the practical message is less about blame than about prevention. The authors and Fundación Mapfre argue that screen limits and healthier eating habits are two areas families can reasonably influence, alongside sleep and exercise. The researchers now want to repeat the findings with more objective measurements and test whether changing these habits alters symptoms over time.