Assessing eating context and fruit and vegetable consumption in children: new methods using food diaries in the UK national diet and nutrition survey rolling programme
2012
E12784
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Title
Assessing eating context and fruit and vegetable consumption in children: new methods using food diaries in the UK national diet and nutrition survey rolling programme
Publication Date
2012
Call Number
E12784
Summary
Background: Eating context is the immediate environment of each eating occasion (EO). There is limited knowledge on the effects of the eating context on food consumption in children, due to the difficulty in measuring the multiple eating contexts children experience throughout the day. This study applied ecological momentary assessment using food diaries to explore the relationships between eating context and fruit and vegetable consumption in UK children. Methods: Using 4 d unweighed food diaries, data were collected for 642 children aged 1.5-10y in two years of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008-2010). Participants recorded all foods and drinks consumed at each EO, where and with whom the food was consumed, whether the TV was on and if eaten at a table. Mixed logistic regression and mixed multinomial logistic regression were used to calculate associations between eating contexts and fruit and vegetables (FV) consumed by quartiles. Results: Of 16,840 EOs, 73% took place at home and 31% with parents only. Frequency of eating alone and with friends increased with age. Compared to eating at home, children aged 1.5-3y were more likely to consume fruit at care outside home (>10-50 g OR:2.39; >50-100 g OR:2.12); children aged 4-6y were more likely to consume fruit (>50-100 g OR:3.53; >100 g OR:1.88) and vegetables at school (>30-60 g OR:3.56). Compared to eating with parents only, children aged 1.5-3y were more likely to consume fruit with friends (>10-50 g OR:2.69; >50-100 g OR:3.49), and with carer and other children/others (>10-50 g OR:2.25); children aged 4-6y were more likely to consume fruit (>50-100 g OR:1.96) and vegetables with friends (>30-60 g OR:3.56). Children of all ages were more likely to eat vegetables when the TV was off than on and at a table than not at table. Conclusions: The use of food diaries to capture multiple eating contexts and detailed fruit and vegetable consumption data was demonstrated at a population level. Higher odds of FV consumption were seen from structured settings such as school and care outside home than at home, as well as when eating at a table and the TV off. This study highlights eating contexts where provision of fruit and vegetables could be improved, especially at home. Future research should take eating context into consideration when planning interventions to target children's food consumption and eating behaviour.
Journal Citation
9:126, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL NUTRITION AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Contact Information
harvest@worldveg.org
Record Appears in
Research > Published Articles