Abstract
Evening meal types and family meal characteristics among adolescents may vary by demographic characteristics and weight status and can negatively impact dietary intake. We used cross-sectional Family, Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating Study data from parent and adolescent dyads (12–17 years) to examine associations of adolescent evening meal types and family meal characteristics with adolescent and family demographic characteristics, weight status, and dietary intake. Multiple logistic regression models were used to evaluate associations of evening meal types and family meal characteristics with daily intake frequency of foods of interest, adolescent demographic characteristics, SES indicators, and weight status. All evening meal types that were not cooked from scratch showed associations with higher daily intake frequencies of less healthy food groups (fast food, convenience foods, sugar-sweetened beverages). Fast food eaten at home and heat-and-serve/box evening meals were associated with lower daily intake frequency of fruits and vegetables. Weight status, race/ethnicity, and age accounted for differences in associations with agreement regarding family meal characteristics. Agreement with often watching TV while eating, often eating alone and the importance of eating together were associated with daily intake frequency of some food groups. Evening meal types focused on convenience and negative family meal characteristics may adversely influence dietary intake among adolescents.
Highlights
Suboptimal diet quality of U.S adolescents continues to be a serious public health issue
Adolescents reported higher mean daily intake frequencies per day of fruits and vegetables and junk food (2.8 and 1.9, respectively) than convenience foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) (1.5 and 1.3, respectively). They reported a higher number of evening meals cooked from scratch per week (4.1) compared to evening meals purchased from a fast food restaurant and eaten at home (0.8), meals delivered to the home (0.4), and heat-and-serve/box meals (1.0)
The current study examined the frequency of four typical evening meal types eaten at home and perceptions of three family meal characteristics and their associations with demographic characteristics, weight status and daily food intake frequencies of healthy and less healthy food groups among a nationwide sample of adolescents aged 12–17
Summary
Suboptimal diet quality of U.S adolescents (ages 12–17) continues to be a serious public health issue. Compared to all other age groups, adolescents consume fewer fruits and vegetables [1,2], more sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) [3,4,5], and more fast foods [5,6]. Healthy Eating Index-2015 scores, which reflect alignment with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans [7], indicated that diet quality needed improvement among a U.S nationally representative sample of adolescents [8]. Improvement was needed especially regarding low intakes of whole fruits, total vegetables, greens and beans, whole grains, seafood and plant proteins, and high intakes of refined grains, sodium, and added sugars and saturated fats.
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