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Cited by 89Nutrition, Health and Food BehaviorNutritional Studies and DietObesity, Physical Activity, Diet

Assessing eating context and fruit and vegetable consumption in children: new methods using food diaries in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme

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Mak, Tsz, Prynne, Celia J, Cole, Darren, Fitt, Emily, Roberts, Caireen, Bates, Beverley, Stephen, Alison M·2012·International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
DOI 10.1186/1479-5868-9-126PMC PMC3495842
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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Eating context is the immediate environment of each eating occasion (EO). There is limited knowledge on the effects of the eating context on food consumption in children, due to the difficulty in measuring the multiple eating contexts children experience throughout the day. This study applied ecological momentary assessment using food diaries to explore the relationships between eating context and fruit and vegetable consumption in UK children. METHODS: Using 4 d unweighed food diaries, data were collected for 642 children aged 1.5-10y in two years of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008-2010). Participants recorded all foods and drinks consumed at each EO, where and with whom the food was consumed, whether the TV was on and if eaten at a table. Mixed logistic regression and mixed multinomial logistic regression were used to calculate associations between eating contexts and fruit and vegetables (FV) consumed by quartiles. RESULTS: Of 16,840 EOs, 73% took place at home and 31% with parents only. Frequency of eating alone and with friends increased with age. Compared to eating at home, children aged 1.5-3y were more likely to consume fruit at care outside home (>10-50g OR:2.39; >50-100g OR:2.12); children aged 4-6y were more likely to consume fruit (>50-100g OR:3.53; >100g OR:1.88) and vegetables at school (>30-60g OR:3.56). Compared to eating with parents only, children aged 1.5-3y were more likely to consume fruit with friends (>10-50g OR:2.69; >50-100g OR:3.49), and with carer and other children/others (>10-50g OR:2.25); children aged 4-6y were more likely to consume fruit (>50-100g OR:1.96) and vegetables with friends (>30-60g OR:3.56). Children of all ages were more likely to eat vegetables when the TV was off than on and at a table than not at table. CONCLUSIONS: The use of food diaries to capture multiple eating contexts and detailed fruit and vegetable consumption data was demonstrated at a population level. Higher odds of FV consumption were seen from structured settings such as school and care outside home than at home, as well as when eating at a table and the TV off. This study highlights eating contexts where provision of fruit and vegetables could be improved, especially at home. Future research should take eating context into consideration when planning interventions to target children's food consumption and eating behaviour.

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  1. School meal provision in England and other Western countries: a review http://www.schoolfoodtrust.org.uk/download/documents/pdf/sft_school_meals_review_may07.pdf

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Authors
Mak, T., Prynne, C. J., Cole, D., Fitt, E., Roberts, C., Bates, B., & Stephen, A. M.
Affiliations
  • MRC Elsie Widdowson Laboratory (GB)
  • NatCen Social Research (GB)
Corresponding author
Mak, Tsz
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2012
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
126
ISSN
1479-5868 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1186/1479-5868-9-126
PMC
PMC3495842
OpenAlex
W2167908730
Cited by
89
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 23 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
FWCI
2.39
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Open Research (University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Surrey Research Insight Open Access (The University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Cambridge Overseas Trust
  • Medical Research Council
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Nutrition, Health and Food Behavior
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
Keywords
eating context, fruit and vegetable intake, children, food diary, ecological momentary assessment, eating occasions, school meals, dietary intake, eating alone
MeSH terms
Child, Child, Preschool, Diet, Feeding Behavior, Female, Fruit, United Kingdom, Humans, Infant, Male, Nutrition Surveys, Parents, Surveys and Questionnaires, Schools, Television, Vegetables, Nutrition Assessment, Diet Records, Logistic Models, Odds Ratio, Meals

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