Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-xtgtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T10:37:42.845Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Exploring predictors of eating behaviour among adolescents by gender and socio-economic status

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2006

Nanna Lien ,
David R Jacobs Jr  and
Knut-Inge Klepp
Nanna Lien*
Affiliation:
Institute for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo, PO Box 1046, Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
David R Jacobs Jr
Affiliation:
Institute for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo, PO Box 1046, Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minnesota, MN, USA
Knut-Inge Klepp
Affiliation:
Institute for Nutrition Research, University of Oslo, PO Box 1046, Blindern, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
*
*Corresponding author: Email nanna.lien@basalmed.uio.no
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

Guided by theory, this study explored cross-sectional differences in factors influencing adolescent eating behaviour including gender and socio-economic status (SES), and subsequently tested the longitudinal predictive power of the models.

Design/setting/subjects: Data were collected by questionnaires in a longitudinal study of adolescents (age 13 years at baseline) and their parents from Hordaland County, Norway. Association of personal and environmental variables (family, friends, school/society) with the consumption of fruit and vegetables (FV) and selected sources of fat and of sugar were assessed at age 15 (n = 613). The final cross-sectional models were subsequently employed in groups stratified by gender/SES and to predict consumption at age 21 (n = 380).

Results:

The model explained more of the variation in the sugar score (21%) and the FV score (13.5%) than in the fat score (5%). SES was associated with both the sugar and FV scores. The strongest associations with the sugar score and FV were for antisocial behaviour and evaluation of own diet, respectively. The former association was significant in all gender/SES groups, whereas the latter association was only significant in the low SES groups. For all three types of food, the strongest significant predictors in the longitudinal models were frequency of consumption at age 15.

Conclusion:

The model's ability to explain variation in eating behaviours differed by food type, and possibly by gender/SES, but previous eating behaviour was an important predictor for all three foods. Prospective studies should carefully operationalise theoretical constructs when further investigating the influences of and interrelationships between these factors and gender/SES on the development of eating behaviours.

Keywords

AdolescentsEating behaviourGenderSocio-economic statusTheoryLongitudinal
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 5 , Issue 5 , December 2002 , pp. 671 - 681
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2002

References

1Luepker, R, Perry, CL, McKinlay, SM, Nader, PR, Parcel, GS, Stone, EJ, Webber, LS, Elder, JP, Feldman, HA, Johnson, CC, Kelder, SH, Wu, M. Outcomes of a field trial to improve children's dietary patterns and physical activity. J. Am. Med. Assoc. 1996;275:768–76.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Lytle, LA, Perry, CL. Applying research and theory in program planning: an example from a nutrition education intervention. Health Prom. Pract. 2001;2:68–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Baranowski, T, Lin, LS, Wetter, DW, Resnicow, K, Hearn, MD. Theory as mediating variables: why aren't community interventions working as desired? Ann. Epidemiol. 1997;7:S89–95.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Neumark-Sztainer, D. The social environment of adolescents: associations between socioenvironmental factors and health behaviors during adolescence. Adolesc. Med. State Art Rev. 1999;10:41–55.Google ScholarPubMed
5Neumark-Sztainer, D, Story, M, Perry, C, Casey, MA. Factors influencing food choices of adolescents: findings from focus-group discussions with adolescents. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1999;99:929–34, 937.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Cusatis, DC, Shannon, BM. Influences on adolescent eating behavior. J. Adolesc. Health 1996;18:27–34.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Gracey, D, Stanley, N, Burke, V, Corti, B, Beilin, LJ. Nutritional knowledge, beliefs and behaviours in teenage school students. Health Educ. Res. 1996;11:187–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8de Bourdeaudhuij, I, van Oost, P. Personal and family determinants of dietary behaviour in adolescents and their parents. Psychol. Health 2000;15:751–70.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Sweeting, H, Anderson, A, West, P. Socio-demographic correlates of dietary habits in mid to late adolescence. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 1994;48:736–48.Google ScholarPubMed
10Crockett, JC, Sims, LS. Environmental influences on children's eating. J. Nutr. Educ. 1995;27:235–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Bandura, A. Social Foundations of Thought and Action. A Social Cognitive Theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1986.Google Scholar
12Nutbeam, D, Aar, L, Catford, J. Understanding childrens' health behavior: the implications for health promotion for young people. Soc. Sci. Med. 1989;29:317–25.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Aarø, LE, Laberg, JC, Wold, B. Health behaviours among adolescents: towards a hypothesis of two dimensions. Health Educ. Res. 1995;10:83–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Neumark-Sztainer, D, Story, M, Toporoff, E, Himes, JH, Resnick, MD, Blum, RWM. Covariations of eating behaviors with other health-related behaviors among adolescents. J. Adolesc. Health 1997;20:450–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Burke, V, Milligan, RAK, Beilin, LJ, Dunbar, D, Spencer, M, Balde, E, Gracey, MP. Clustering of health-related behaviors among 18-year-old Australians. Prev. Med. 1997;26:724–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Bosma, H, van de Mheen, HD, Mackenbach, JP. Social class in childhood and general health in adulthood: questionnaire study of contributions of psychological attributes. Br. Med. J. 1999;318:18–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Glendinning, A, Hendry, L, Shucksmith, J. Lifestyle, health and social class in adolescence. Soc. Sci. Med. 1995;4:235–48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18Jessor, R, Turbin, MS, Costa, FM. Protective factors in adolescent health behavior. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 1998;75:788–800.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19Matthews, S, Manor, O, Power, C. Social inequalities in health; are there gender differences? Soc. Sci. Med. 1999;48:49–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20O'Doherty Jensen, K, Holm, L. Preferences, quantities and concerns: socio-cultural perspectives on the gendered consumption of foods. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 1999;53:351–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Hoglund, D, Samuelson, G, Mark, A. Food habits in Swedish adolescents in relation to socioeconomic conditions. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 1998;52:784–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Prattala, R. Socio-demographic differences in fat and sugar consumption among Finnish adolescents. Ecol. Food Nutr. 1988;22:53–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24Paulus, D, Saint-Remy, A, Jeanjean, M. Dietary habits during adolescence – results of the Belgian Adolux Study. Eur. J. Clin. Nutr. 2001;55:130–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25Neumark-Sztainer, D, Story, M, Resnick, MD, Blum, RW. Correlates of inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents. Prev. Med. 1996;25:497–505.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
26Milligan, RA, Burke, V, Beilin, LJ, Dunbar, DL, Spencer, MJ, Balde, E, et al. Influence of gender and socio-economic status on dietary patterns and nutrient intakes in 18-year-old Australians. Aust. NZ J. Public Health 1998;22:485–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27Ness, AR, Powles, JW. Fruit and vegetables, and cardiovascular disease: a review. Int. J. Epidemiol. 1997;26:1–13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
28World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research. Food, Nutrition and the Prevention of Cancer: A Global Perspective. Washington, DC: American Institute for Cancer Research, 1997.Google Scholar
29Kromhout, D. Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in Europe. Public Health Nutr. 2001;4(2B):441–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
30Astrup, A. Healthy lifestyles in Europe: prevention of obesity and type II diabetes by diet and physical activity. Public Health Nutr. 2001;4(2B):499–517.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31Williams, P. Sugar: is there a need for dietary guidelines in Australia? Aust. J. Nutr. Diet. 2001;58:26–31.Google Scholar
32Harnack, L, Stang, J, Story, M. Soft drink consumption among US children and adolescents: nutritional consequences. J. Am. Diet. Assoc. 1999;99:436–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
33Ludwig, DS, Peterson, KE, Gortmaker, SL. Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis. Lancet 2001;357:505–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34Anderssen, N. Physical activity of young people in a public health perspective: stability, change and social influences. Doctoral thesis, University of Bergen, Bergen, 1995.Google Scholar
35Haugland, S, Wold, B, Stevenson, J, Aaroe, LE, Woynarowska, B. Subjective health complaints in adolescence: a crossnational comparison of prevalence and dimensionality. Eur. J. Public Health 2001;11:4–10.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36Friestad, C. Social psychological approaches to smoking. Doctoral thesis, University of Bergen, Bergen, 1998.Google Scholar
37Alsaker, FD, Olweus, D. Stability of global self-evaluation on early adolescence: a cohort longitudinal study. J. Res. Adolesc. 1992;2:123–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38Alsaker, FD, Dundas, I, Olweus, D. A growth curve approach to the study of parental relations and depression in adolescence. Paper presented in a symposium at the Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research on Child DevelopmentSeattle, WA18–20 April 1991.Google Scholar
39Alsaker, FD. Perceived social competence, global selfesteem, social interactions and peer dependence in early adolescence. In: Schneider, BH, Attili, G, Nadel, JN, Weissberg, RP, eds. Social Competence in Developmental Perspectives. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1988;390–2.Google Scholar
40Skaarer, C. En metodevurdering av spørsmål stilt ved 16-, 18-, og 19-års alder i den longitudinelle spørreundersøkelsen; ‘Voksen i å2000’. Cand Scient Thesis, Institute for Nutrition Research, Oslo, 2001.Google Scholar
41Andersen, LF, Johansson, L, Solvoll, K. Usefulness of a short food frequency questionnaire for screening of low intake of fruit and vegetable and for intake of fat. Eur. J. Public Health[in press].Google Scholar
42Johansson, L, Solvoll, K, Aa Bjorneboe, GE, Drevon, CA. Dietary habits among Norwegian men and women. Scand. J. Nutr. 1997;41:63–70.Google Scholar
43Lien, N, Friestad, C, Klepp, K-I. Adolescents' proxy reports of parents' socioeconomic status – how valid are they? J. Epidemiol. Community Health 2001;55:731–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
44Roos, EB, Hirvonen, T, Mikkila, V, Karvonen, S, Rimpela, M. Household educational level as a determinant of consumption of raw vegetables among male and female adolescents. Prev. Med. 2001;33:282–91.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
45Barker, M, Robinson, S, Wilman, C, Barker, DJP. Behaviour, body composition and diet in adolescent girls. Appetite 2000;35:161–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
46Lien, N, Lytle, LA, Klepp, K-I. Stability in consumption of fruit, vegetables and sugary foods in a cohort from age 14 to 21. Prev. Med. 2001;33:217–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
47Field, AF, Colditz, GA, Fox, MK, Byers, T, Serdula, M, Bosch, R, Peterson, KE. Comparison of 4 questionnaires for assessment of fruit and vegetable intake. Am. J. Public Health 1998;88:1216–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed