Adolescents’ Nutrition: The Role of Health Literacy, Family and Socio-Demographic Variables

Abstract

Adolescent obesity rates are increasing on an epidemic level and food intake is one of the most important causes of this condition. From an ecological perspective, food intake is, in turn, influenced by many factors that need to be considered. This study aims to evaluate the associations between socio-demographic factors (gender, family origin, socio-economic status, parent’s education level), which consist of social stratifiers, health literacy and family context, as independent variables, and food intake (consumption of fruits, vegetables, soft drinks and sweets and breakfast frequency) and outcomes (Body Mass Index category), as dependent variables. Data were retrieved from 2145 students (13 and 15 years old) from the Lombardy region (Italy) who participated in the 2018 edition of Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC). Six multiple binary logistic regression models were used in this study. Fruit, vegetable and soft drinks consumption models were related to all three-factor levels. Breakfast consumption frequency was associated with socio-demographic variables. BMI category was associated with socio-demographic and family variables. The results confirmed the existence of social inequalities, the importance of health literacy in predicting healthy behaviours and the relevance of the family context. The study confirms the importance of the ecological approach to understanding food intake and overweight/obesity status in adolescents.

Room for Improvement in Sports Nutrition Knowledge amongst Parents and Caregivers of Male Academy Soccer Players in the UK: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…This is important to consider not only due to the immediate impact that suboptimal dietary intake can have on growth and development during childhood and adolescence but also given how few players will proceed to first teams [59], with 10% progression rates being reported from academy systems to senior teams [33,60]. Providing individualised support to caregivers and working within their sociocultural environment is crucial for facilitating appropriate nutritional practices in children and dependents [15]. Providing support to reenforce or improve the health and nutrition literacy of caregivers can thus extend to their dependents, promoting health behaviours over the lifespan [61].…”

“…Dietary habits are multifactorial and are influenced by socioeconomic status, education, cultural background, appetite, cost, convenience, and knowledge [14,15]. Nutrition knowledge is described as an important factor in the food choice process of athletes as this can influence not only an awareness of nutrition but also the ability to apply this practically when choosing appropriate food and meals [16].…”

Evaluation of the nutritional quality of French children breakfasts according to the Breakfast Quality Score (BQS)

“…However, French breakfasts also contribute significantly to daily free sugar intakes (around 36%) ( 14 ). Moreover, children from lower socioeconomic groups are more prone to skipping breakfast than other children ( 3 , 16 ), leading to poorer overall diet quality ( 3 ). While socioeconomic differences in breakfast consumption frequency have been extensively studied, there is a lack of research linking socioeconomic variables to breakfast meal quality.…”