Evaluating adolescent eating autonomy through ecological momentary assessment

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Behavioral Science
• Nutritional Psychology

Background:

• Adolescence involves increased autonomy and the establishment of health behaviors.
• Adolescents' eating behaviors are influenced by autonomy, especially during unsupervised occasions like snacks.
• This study is the first to directly assess eating autonomy in adolescent food choices using a momentary design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the construct of eating autonomy in adolescents.
• Utilize smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to capture real-time data.

Main Methods:

• Adolescents (n=48, 12-17 years) reported perceived control over food choices over seven days.
• Contextual data (social setting, time, occasion) were collected for each eating occasion.
• Hypothesized differences in eating autonomy based on day type, eating occasion, and social company.

Main Results:

• Adolescents reported higher eating autonomy during snacks and when eating alone.
• Eating autonomy decreased when adolescents ate with parents or during after-school and dinnertimes.
• No significant association was found between age and eating autonomy.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents exhibit considerable autonomy in food choices, influenced by social context, occasion type, and time of day.
• Findings can inform interventions to improve adolescent dietary behaviors by leveraging contexts of higher autonomy.
• Strategies promoting healthier eating can be shaped by enhancing adolescents' decision-making autonomy in various eating situations.