Associations Between Sociodemographic Factors and Adolescent Food Consumption During Independent Eating Occasions

Alex Kojo Anderson; Carolyn Gunther; Blake Jones; Karina Lora; Marla Reicks; Rickelle Richards; Grace Shearrer; Siew Sun Wong; Jinan Banna; Laura Hopkins; Lillie Monroe-Lord; Glade Topham

doi:10.1080/03670244.2024.2439959

Associations Between Sociodemographic Factors and Adolescent Food Consumption During Independent Eating Occasions

Ecol Food Nutr. 2025 Jan-Feb;64(1-2):4-19. doi: 10.1080/03670244.2024.2439959. Epub 2024 Dec 15.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, USA.
² Martha S. Pitzer for Women, Children, and Youth, College of Nursing, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, USA.
⁴ Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
⁵ Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA.
⁶ Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science, Brigham Young University, Provo, USA.
⁷ Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, USA.
⁸ School of Nutrition and Public Health, Oregon State University, Corvalis, USA.
⁹ Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Manoa, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Public Health and Prevention Science, Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, USA.
¹¹ Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health, University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC, USA.
¹² Department of Applied Human Sciences, Kansas State University, Manhattan, USA.

PMID: 39676316
DOI: 10.1080/03670244.2024.2439959

Abstract

Associations were examined between sociodemographic characteristics of a US online survey sample of caregiver/adolescent dyads (n = 533) and food intake during independent eating occasions. Caregivers reported sociodemographic characteristics for dyads. Adolescents reported daily intake frequency of sugar-sweetened beverages, junk foods, sugary foods, fast food, and fruits and vegetables during independent eating occasions. Logistic regression analysis showed increased odds of sugar-sweetened beverage intake by White vs. Asian counterparts, decreased odds of sugary food intake by age (12 vs. 11-year-olds) and increased odds of sugary food intake by weight status (overweight/obesity vs. normal weight). Understanding these relationships may inform future intervention development.

Keywords: Adolescents; caregivers; food consumption; independent eating occasions; sociodemographic characteristics.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Child
Diet*
Fast Foods
Feeding Behavior*
Female
Fruit
Humans
Male
Sociodemographic Factors
Socioeconomic Factors
Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
United States