Diet-specific social support among rural adolescents

Area of Science:

• Adolescent health
• Nutritional science
• Social determinants of health

Background:

• Social support networks, including family and friends, play a significant role in shaping adolescent behaviors.
• Understanding these influences is critical for designing effective public health interventions.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the specific impact of social support on dietary habits in rural adolescent populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between social support from family and friends and eating behaviors (fat and fiber consumption) in rural adolescents.
• To identify potential differences in social support and eating behaviors across racial subgroups.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional health surveys administered to 1942 sixth graders (mean age 12) in rural Virginia and New York.
• Data collected included social support for healthy eating (family and friends), dietary intake (fat and fiber), and demographics.
• Hierarchical multiple regressions and ANOVAs were used for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Social support from both family and friends significantly predicted adolescent fat and fiber intake, even after controlling for demographic factors.
• African American adolescents reported higher levels of friend support for healthy eating compared to White adolescents.
• Significant associations were found between social support and dietary intake (P < .05 for fat, P < .01 for fiber).

Conclusions:

• Social support for healthy eating is associated with healthier dietary practices in adolescents.
• Racial differences exist in the levels of social support received for healthy eating.
• Interventions should focus on identifying and strengthening positive social support systems to promote healthy eating among high-risk adolescents.