Home food availability, dietary intake and child weight status

Abstract

Background The home is a primary food environment for children. Therefore, it is important to study how home food availability (HFA) may influence dietary intake and weight status. Objective This study examined HFA of fruits, vegetables, and milk and its association with children's weight status and dietary intake of these foods. Methods This was a cross-sectional study based on surveys from 489 students in grades 3–12 and their parents in 2009. Descriptive statistics were conducted and multiple linear regression was used to ascertain if a relationship existed between HFA, child weight status, and dietary intake of fruits, vegetables, and milk. Results Overall, 12.5% of participants were overweight and 6.7% were obese. About 26% of participants reported that they consumed 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day and 17% consumed 3 or more glasses of milk per day. No relationship was found between HFA of fruits, vegetables, and milk and reported intake of these foods. Although a significant association was found between parent and child weight status, no association was found between HFA and child weight status. Conclusions Although the home is a primary food environment for children, this study did not find an association between HFA, weight status, and dietary intake. In addition to HFA, future research should include measures of foods eaten away from home, such as at school or in restaurants. Grant Funding Source: USDA National Research Initiative Grant 55215-18799