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Parental eating behaviours, home food environment and adolescent intakes of fruits, vegetables and dairy foods: longitudinal findings from Project EAT

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 November 2007

Chrisa Arcan*
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
Peter Hannan
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
Patricia van den Berg
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
Mary Story
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
Nicole Larson
Affiliation:
Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 South 2nd Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA
*
*Corresponding author: Email arca0021@umn.edu
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Abstract

Objective

To examine longitudinal associations of parental report of household food availability and parent intakes of fruits, vegetables and dairy foods with adolescent intakes of the same foods. This study expands upon the limited research of longitudinal studies examining the role of parents and household food availability in adolescent dietary intakes.

Design

Longitudinal study. Project EAT-II followed an ethnically and socio-economically diverse sample of adolescents from 1999 (time 1) to 2004 (time 2). In addition to the Project EAT survey, adolescents completed the Youth Adolescent Food-Frequency Questionnaire in both time periods, and parents of adolescents completed a telephone survey at time 1. General linear modelling was used to examine the relationship between parent intake and home availability and adolescent intake, adjusting for time 1 adolescent intakes. Associations were examined separately for the high school and young adult cohorts and separately for males and females in combined cohorts.

Subjects/setting

The sample included 509 pairs of parents/guardians and adolescents.

Results

Vegetables served at dinner significantly predicted adolescent intakes of vegetables for males (P = 0.037), females (P = 0.009), high school (P = 0.033) and young adults (P = 0.05) at 5-year follow-up. Among young adults, serving milk at dinner predicted dairy intake (P = 0.002). Time 1 parental intakes significantly predicted intakes of young adults for fruit (P = 0.044), vegetables (P = 0.041) and dairy foods (P = 0.008). Parental intake predicted intake of dairy for females (P = 0.02).

Conclusions

The findings suggest the importance of providing parents of adolescents with knowledge and skills to enhance the home food environment and improve their own eating behaviours.

Information

Type
Research Paper
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2007
Figure 0

Table 1 Adolescents' daily intakes of fruits, vegetables and dairy foods (%)*

Figure 1

Table 2 (a) Parents' intakes of fruits vegetables and dairy foods (%) at time 1 (n=509)*†

Figure 2

Table 3 Spearman correlations between parents' intakes and home food availability (time 1, T1) and adolescent intakes of fruits, vegetables and dairy foods (time 2, T2)

Figure 3

Table 4 Adjusted* adolescent intakes† of fruits, vegetables and dairy products at time 2 by parental report of availability at time 1, by gender and age group cohort

Figure 4

Table 5 Adjusted* adolescents’ intakes† of fruits, vegetables and dairy at time 2 by parent intakes at time 1, by gender and age group cohort