Influence of the Home Environment and Nutrition Knowledge on Diet Quality of Adolescents

Abstract

The objective of this research was to examine psychological, social, and environmental features in the home and their impact on diet quality and weight status of adolescents. A secondary goal was to explore the role of the comprehensive home environment as a mediator of maternal nutrition knowledge and diet quality. A sample of 206 mothers and adolescents (11–14 years) completed the Multidimensional Home Environment Scale, a Food Frequency Questionnaire, and a Nutrition Knowledge survey. Body mass index‐for‐age percentiles were derived from measurements of weight and height obtained by researcher; diet quality was estimated via the Healthy Eating Index‐2010. Adolescents consumed diets below recommendations for total fruit (68.1%), total vegetable (55.7%), greens and beans (52.9%), whole grains (15.3%), dairy (55%), seafood and plant protein (38.1%), fatty acids (8.8%), sodium (55.3%), empty calories (67.1%), and total HEI‐2010 (53.6%). The final model of the home environment on diet quality included availability of healthy foods (p=0.00), healthy eating attitude (p=0.01), and accessibility to unhealthy foods (p=0.04), explaining 28% of the variance. Equations that contained the strongest predictor variables, self‐efficacy (β=−0.24, p=0.02) and availability of healthy foods (β=−0.24, p=0.02) were retained and accounted for 16% of variation in BMI. Inclusion of the mediator in the model yielded significant estimates of the indirect effect (β=0.61, 95% CI: 0.3–1.0) and a 65.2% reduction in the model, suggesting a critical role of the home environment as a partial mediator. These results emphasize the importance of the home environment in determination of diet quality and BMI. Additionally, the findings suggest that proficient maternal knowledge in nutrition may be linked to a healthier home environment, ultimately contributing to enhanced diet quality of adolescents.Support or Funding InformationBess Heflin Centennial Professorship in Nutrition