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Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
Published on: January 25, 2018
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Associations Between Adolescent Food Environments and Dietary Intake.
Saira Sarwar1, Jennie L Hill2, Amy Lazarus Yaroch3
1Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE.
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior
|December 7, 2024
Summary
The home food environment, particularly fruit and vegetable availability, significantly impacts adolescent diet more than the neighborhood. This suggests the home environment could be a key target for interventions to combat adolescent obesity.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Adolescent diet is influenced by various environmental factors.
- Understanding the relative impact of home versus neighborhood food environments is crucial for public health interventions.
- Dietary patterns established in adolescence often persist into adulthood, impacting long-term health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between home and neighborhood food environments and adolescent dietary intake.
- To determine which food environment (home or neighborhood) has a stronger influence on adolescent diet.
- To identify specific aspects of the food environment that predict dietary behaviors in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 204 adolescents and their caregivers.
- Home food environment assessed using a validated questionnaire.
- Neighborhood food environment evaluated using geographic information system (GIS) methods and in-person audits.
- Dietary intake assessed via the Family Life, Activity, Sun, Health, and Eating (FLASHE) questionnaire and a 24-hour recall.
Main Results:
- Higher availability of fruits and vegetables at home was linked to better diet quality, including higher intake of fruits and vegetables and nutrient-dense foods, and lower fast-food consumption.
- Greater availability of fats and sweets at home predicted increased intake of energy-dense, nutrient-poor, less healthful, and sugary foods.
- Neighborhood factors, such as convenience store and fast-food outlet counts, were also associated with specific dietary outcomes, including nutrient-dense food consumption and sugary beverage intake.
Conclusions:
- The home food environment demonstrates a more significant association with adolescent diet compared to the neighborhood food environment.
- The home food environment presents a potentially modifiable target for interventions aimed at improving adolescent nutrition and addressing obesity.
- Further research is warranted to explore the efficacy of home-based interventions in improving adolescent dietary habits and health outcomes.
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