Abstract
The present study investigates the changes and tracking of dietary behaviours in Norwegian 11-year-olds and examines the association between parental education and dietary tracking over a time period of 20 months. Longitudinal data from the Norwegian HEalth In Adolescents (HEIA) cohort study followed up at three time points (2007-2009). Intakes of fruits, vegetables and snacks were assessed by frequency and intakes of sugar-sweetened soft drinks and squash were assessed by frequency and amount. Tracking of dietary behaviours was assessed by adolescents' relative position in rank over time and Cohen's kappa was used to measure tracking coefficients. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association between parental education and the tracking of dietary behaviours. In total, 885 adolescents from the HEIA cohort study participated by answering Internet-based questionnaires at three time points. The results indicated that boys and girls maintained their relative position in rank of dietary intake over time, when grouped by baseline consumption. Fair to moderate tracking coefficients of dietary variables were observed. An inverse association was found between parental education and stability of soft drink and squash consumption during the 20 months. The observed tracking pattern indicates the importance of promoting healthy dietary behaviours at an even earlier age. Furthermore, interventions should focus particularly on adolescents from families with low parental education and their consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
Highlights
Materials and methodsParticipants and study design The HEalth In Adolescents (HEIA) study is a school-based group-randomized controlled survey, designed to promote healthy weight development through dietary behaviours and physical activity
Attrition analysis showed no significant differences in the demographic variables gender, age, BMI and parental education, or in dietary behaviours at T0, between the sample of adolescents included in the present paper and those excluded (n 90) due to lack of participation at all three time points
Tracking patterns and stability Adolescents kept their relative position in rank over time when grouped by dietary intake at T0, except for girls’ intake of fruits and boys’ intake of snacks (Fig. 1(a) to (j))
Summary
Participants and study design The HEalth In Adolescents (HEIA) study is a school-based group-randomized controlled survey, designed to promote healthy weight development through dietary behaviours and physical activity. Sweet (candies and chocolate) and salty (chips and popcorn) snacks was assessed by two questions asking for frequency of usual intake, measured by seven categories; from never/seldom to two or more times daily. Significant differences in dietary intake between time points were assessed using one-way repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni correction of multiple testing. Tracking patterns were illustrated as consumers’ relative position in rank by mean dietary intakes at T0, T1 and T2 in groups of low, medium and high consumption at T0. Intakes of fruits and vegetables were categorized as low [,5], medium [5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13] or high ($14) consumption in times per week. Soft drinks and squash were categorized based on intake in decilitres per week, into low (0), medium (#7 but .0) or high (.7) consumption. A stable high intake was the reference category for the dependent variable, and a low level of education was the reference category for the independent variable
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