Dietary patterns and home food availability during emerging adulthood: do they differ by living situation?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present work was to cross-sectionally examine and compare dietary behaviours and home food environments by young adults' living situation. DESIGN: Using data from Project EAT (Eating Among Teens)-II, a large diverse youth cohort originally sampled in Minnesota, linear regression was used to examine self-reported meal frequency, dietary intake and home food availability outcomes by living situation (i.e. living with parents, renting an apartment/house or living on a college campus). SUBJECTS: Young adults (n 1687), mean age 20.5 years. RESULTS: Results suggested that young adults living with their parents or in rented apartments/houses had less frequent meals, poorer dietary intake and less healthy home food availability compared with those living on campus. These findings were evident even after controlling for sociodemographic factors (e.g. race/ethnicity, socio-economic status), particularly among females. CONCLUSIONS: Although few emerging adults consume diets that are consistent with national recommendations, those living with parents and in rented apartments/houses may represent particularly at-risk groups. These differences in dietary factors across living situations appear to exist beyond the sociodemographic differences in these populations. Effective nutrition and healthy eating promotion strategies are needed for young adults.

Duke Scholars

Author Mary T Story Family Medicine and Community Health