Abstract
Adolescence is an important developmental period marked by a transition from primarily parental-controlled eating to self-directed and peer-influenced eating. During this period, adolescents gain autonomy over their individual food choices and eating behavior in general. While parent-feeding practices have been shown to influence eating behaviors in children, little is known about how these relationships track across adolescent development as autonomy expands. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that impact food decisions and eating autonomy among adolescents. Using the food choice process model as a guide, four focus groups were conducted with 34 adolescents. Focus group discussion was semi-structured, asking teens about influences on their food choices across different food environments, their involvement with food purchasing and preparation, and perceived control over food their choices. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using deductive and inductive code creation and thematic analysis. This study found six leading influences on adolescents' food choices and identified additional factors with prominence within specific environmental contexts. This study distinguished a broader spectrum of factors influencing adolescent food choice that extend beyond “convenience” and “taste” which have previously been identified as significant contributors. The degree of control that teens reported differed by eating location, occasion, and social context. Finally, adolescents demonstrated various levels of engagement in behaviors related to their eating autonomy. Identifying the emergent themes related to adolescent autonomy was the first step toward the goal of developing a scale to evaluate adolescent eating autonomy.
Highlights
Adolescence is an important developmental period marked by a transition from primarily parental-controlled eating to more self-directed eating (Kelder, 1994)
Adolescent Food Choice and Eating Autonomy that the food choice behaviors of children and adolescents track into adulthood, it is valuable to gain a better understanding of factors that influence adolescent eating behavior (Devine, 2005)
Throughout the focus group analysis, attention was paid to uncover thematic areas unique to the adolescent perspective, where adolescents may experience a range of autonomy over their food selections
Summary
Adolescence is an important developmental period marked by a transition from primarily parental-controlled eating to more self-directed eating (Kelder, 1994). Adolescence spans the period from ages 10–19 and is characterized by rapid physical, mental, and emotional development (Sawyer et al, 2018). During this life stage, adolescents’ food choices and eating are influenced by parents, peers, and the surrounding environment (Story et al, 2002). Much of the prior work in adolescents has focused on disordered eating behaviors, eating in specific contexts, or types of foods. There is a robust literature showing that food parenting practices and parenting styles may influence the eating behaviors of offspring, but less is known about the effects on adolescents (Savage et al, 2007; Vaughn et al, 2016). More research is needed that broadly examines adolescent eating behavior across a variety of eating contexts and eating occasions
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