Preference for and consumption of traditional and fast foods among adolescents in Indonesia

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the preference for and consumption of traditional and fast foods among adolescents in Indonesia and their relationship to social, economic, demographic, and regional factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted online in six provinces in Java and Bali (JB) and nine provinces outside Java and Bali (OJB), involving 4,500 junior high school, high school and university students. Questionnaire items that have been tested included personal and family information, food preferences (three Likert scales), frequency of food consumption (never, ≤ 1/month, 2-3 times/month, and ≥4 times/ month) for about 10–20 types of traditional food and 17 types of fast food that varies among the provinces. The t-test was applied to analyze the differences in scores and frequency of food consumption in Java and Bali (JB) and the provinces outside Java and Bali (OJB). Logistic regression was employed to discover factors that contributed to the frequency of consumption of traditional food and fast food. In the provinces outside Java and Bali, traditional foods—especially groups of food made with cereals, vegetables, seafood, bean and legumes, and traditional snacks—are preferred and consumed over fast food. In Java and Bali, fast food is preferred over traditional food. However, some food groups such as cereals, vegetables and seafood are consumed more in the form of traditional food and snacks. The results showed that in Java and Bali, most adolescents preferred fast food to traditional food (P<0.05). Although fast food was preferred, adolescents in Java and Bali more than often consumed traditional foods made with cereals, vegetables, seafood, beans and legumes, and traditional snacks; because traditional food is more affordable (P<0.05). Meanwhile, in provinces outside Java and Bali, adolescents generally prefer traditional food to fast food. This is in line with the frequency of consumption of traditional food which was also higher than that of fast food from most food groups (P<0.05). Consumption of traditional food and fast food is influenced by several social, economic, and demographic factors such as gender, place of residence, educational level of the adolescents, parental occupation and income, as well as online food purchase habits (P<0.05).