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How we eat what we eat: identifying meal routines and practices most strongly associated with healthy and unhealthy dietary factors among young adults.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Laska, MN; Hearst, MO; Lust, K; Lytle, LA; Story, M
Published in: Public Health Nutr
August 2015

OBJECTIVE: (i) To examine associations between young adults' meal routines and practices (e.g. food preparation, meal skipping, eating on the run) and key dietary indicators (fruit/vegetable, fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage intakes) and (ii) to develop indices of protective and risky meal practices most strongly associated with diet. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, Minnesota (USA). SUBJECTS: A diverse sample of community college and public university students (n 1013). RESULTS: Meal routines and practices most strongly associated with healthy dietary patterns were related to home food preparation (i.e. preparing meals at home, preparing meals with vegetables) and meal regularity (i.e. routine consumption of evening meals and breakfast). In contrast, factors most strongly associated with poor dietary patterns included eating on the run, using media while eating and purchasing foods/beverages on campus. A Protective Factors Index, summing selected protective meal routines and practices, was positively associated with fruit/vegetable consumption and negatively associated with fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (P<0·001). A Risky Factors Index yielded significant, positive associations with fast-food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (P<0·001). The probability test for the association between the Risky Factors Index and fruit/vegetable intake was P=0·05. CONCLUSIONS: Meal routines and practices were significantly associated with young adults' dietary patterns, suggesting that ways in which individuals structure mealtimes and contextual characteristics of eating likely influence food choice. Thus, in addition to considering specific food choices, it also may be important to consider the context of mealtimes in developing dietary messaging and guidelines.

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Published In

Public Health Nutr

DOI

EISSN

1475-2727

Publication Date

August 2015

Volume

18

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2135 / 2145

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Vegetables
  • Schools
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Minnesota
  • Meals
  • Male
  • Linear Models
 

Citation

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MLA
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Laska, M. N., Hearst, M. O., Lust, K., Lytle, L. A., & Story, M. (2015). How we eat what we eat: identifying meal routines and practices most strongly associated with healthy and unhealthy dietary factors among young adults. Public Health Nutr, 18(12), 2135–2145. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980014002717
Laska, Melissa N., Mary O. Hearst, Katherine Lust, Leslie A. Lytle, and Mary Story. “How we eat what we eat: identifying meal routines and practices most strongly associated with healthy and unhealthy dietary factors among young adults.Public Health Nutr 18, no. 12 (August 2015): 2135–45. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980014002717.
Laska, Melissa N., et al. “How we eat what we eat: identifying meal routines and practices most strongly associated with healthy and unhealthy dietary factors among young adults.Public Health Nutr, vol. 18, no. 12, Aug. 2015, pp. 2135–45. Pubmed, doi:10.1017/S1368980014002717.
Journal cover image

Published In

Public Health Nutr

DOI

EISSN

1475-2727

Publication Date

August 2015

Volume

18

Issue

12

Start / End Page

2135 / 2145

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Vegetables
  • Schools
  • Nutrition Surveys
  • Nutrition Assessment
  • Nutrition & Dietetics
  • Minnesota
  • Meals
  • Male
  • Linear Models