Comparison of dietary habits between migrant and local adolescents in Shenzhen, China

It is estimated that the number of migrant adolescents in Chinese cities may have reached 25 million. However, little research has been conducted on their dietary habits. The objective of this study was to compare dietary habits between migrant and local adolescents in Shenzhen, China.

A school based cross-sectional study was conducted in 3368 adolescents (aged 11-18 years; 52.5% boys). A self-administered questionnaire completed by adolescents was designed to gather information on socio-demographic characteristics, meal location, food pattern and intake.

Of the 3368 adolescents, 58.2% were migrants. Compared with locals, migrant adolescents showed significantly higher percentage of having three meals away-from home. Nearly half of the subjects (45.6 %) skipped breakfast, with a higher proportion among migrant students (48.5 vs 41.5%). Migrant students consumed street food more frequently (12.2 vs 8.5%), while the difference was opposite in Western fast food intake (27.3 vs 32.5%). No significant difference was found in snacks intake between these two groups. Migrant students exhibited lower percentage of vegetables (57.3 vs 63.7%), fruits (27.7 vs 38.3%), meats (37.0 vs 44.3%), soybean (11.6 vs 17.5%) and dairy products (28.4 vs 42.5%) intake daily. After adjusted for socio-demographic confounders, the difference mentioned above still remained except Western fast food.

Dietary habits among adolescents showed pronounced household variation. Migrant adolescents are more likely to exhibit unhealthy dietary behavior. Schools and families should collaborate to improve the dietary environment for adolescents, especially those from migrant families.