Eating and activity: the importance of family and environment

The aim of this paper was to examine the eating behaviours, physical exercise and television viewing of secondary school students, and to investigate their relationship with parental monitoring and family cohesion.

The study was conducted at a secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2005. Questionnaires were administered to 433 students aged 13-16 years, spanning Years 9, 10 and 11. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and correlational analyses were used.

Overall, boys and younger students reported eating more 'unhealthy' foods. Frequency of buying own food (which 59.5% did at least twice a week) was strongly correlated with eating 'unhealthy food' (r=0.50). Parental monitoring (PM) and family cohesion (FC) were significantly positively related to participants' reports of eating breakfast and eating healthy foods, and significantly negatively related to reports of buying own food and eating unhealthy foods. Most (65.5%) reported exercising at least three times a week, boys more than girls. Exercise rates were moderately correlated with eating healthy food and weakly related to PM and FC. Television viewing was related to eating unhealthy food.

Adolescents who buy their own food make many 'unhealthy' food choices. Healthy eating and, to a lesser extent, exercise and reduced television viewing are related to increased levels of parental monitoring and family cohesion.