Understanding the Eating Behaviors of Adolescents: Application of Dietary Patterns Methodology to Behavioral Nutrition Research

Abstract

Research investigating dietary patterns in the population has become increasingly widespread in the literature, and there has been substantial growth in this area during the last 10 years. However, little of this research has occurred among child or adolescent populations ( 1 Tucker K.L. Dietary patterns, approaches, and multicultural perspective. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2010; 35: 211-218 Google Scholar ). The interest in dietary patterns has increased partly because of the inconsistencies in the epidemiological literature on the role of individual nutrients in many health outcomes ( 2 Steffen L.M. Eat your fruit and vegetables. Lancet. 2006; 367: 278-279 Google Scholar , 3 Siri-Tarino P.W. Sun Q. Hu F.B. Krauss R.M. Meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies evaluating the association of saturated fat with cardiovascular disease. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010; 91: 535-546 Google Scholar ), and the failure of single-nutrient dietary intervention studies ( 4 Albanes D. Beta-carotene and lung cancer: A case study. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999; 69: S1345-S1350 Google Scholar ) coupled with the success of “total diet” interventions such as the Lyon Diet Heart Study and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension trial ( 5 de Lorgeril M. Salen P. Martin J.L. Monjaud I. Delaye J. Mamelle N. Mediterranean diet, traditional risk factors, and the rate of cardiovascular complications after myocardial infarction: Final report of the Lyon Diet Heart Study. Circulation. 1999; 99: 779-785 Google Scholar , 6 Appel L.J. Moore T.J. Obarzanek E. Vollmer W.M. Svetkey L.P. Sacks F.M. Bray G.A. Vogt T.M. Cutler J.A. Windhauser M.M. Lin P.H. Karanja N. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 1997; 336: 1117-1124 Google Scholar ). The importance of dietary patterns research in identifying links between health and disease is reflected in the inclusion of dietary patterns in systematic reviews underpinning evidence-based dietary guidelines ( 7 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer ResearchFood, Nutrition, Physical Activity, and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. American Institute for Cancer Research, Washington, DC2007 Google Scholar ). S. A. McNaughton is a Heart Foundation senior research fellow, Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research, School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.