An examination of the influence of eating location on the diets of Irish children

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the influence of eating location on the quality of the diets of Irish children and to compare intakes at home with intakes at other people's homes and intakes outside the home, and to compare intakes at various locations outside the home. Design: Food intake was measured using a 7-day weighed diary in 594 children from the Republic of Ireland (aged 5-12 years). Details of where the food was prepared or obtained were also recorded. Results: Eighty-nine per cent of all eating occasions occurred at home; , 6% occurred at both other people's homes and outside the home (takeaway, restaurant, shop, other). The percentage of food energy from fat was above the recommended 35% at other people's homes and outside the home, specifically at takeaways and restaurants. Fibre and micronutrient intakes (per 10 MJ) were significantly higher at home than at the other locations (P , 0.05). Within the 'out' locations, fibre and micronutrient intakes were generally higher at restaurants and lower at shops. High consumers of foods outside the home had a statistically significant, but relatively small decline in nutrient intakes compared with non-or low consumers. Chips and processed potatoes, meat products, savouries, sugars and confectionery, and savoury snacks made the greatest contribution to foods consumed outside the home. Conclusions: The main focus of nutrition policies to improve the diets of Irish children should be the home environment rather than the food service sector. However, guidelines could call for better food choices outside the home to improve nutrient intakes.

Influencing and modifying children's energy intake: the role of portion size and energy density

“…Indeed, eating out-of-home is associated with increased EI and fat intakes (18)(19)(20) , and is an independent risk factor for obesity (21)(22)(23) . This is of particular concern given the increased frequency of out-of-home eating over time.…”

Patterns of sociodemographic and food practice characteristics in relation to fruit and vegetable consumption in children: results from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008–2010)

“…Determinants of eating behaviour and dietary intake in children have been extensively researched, with increasing understanding of influences such as the food environment, particularly at home, where children eat most often (1) . A wide range of home-related factors such as socio-economic status (SES), affordability, availability at home and accessibility (2)(3)(4)(5) , to parental factors such as parent's education, nutritional knowledge and parental intake (3,(5)(6)(7)(8)(9) and individual factors such as food preferences (7,8) , have all been shown to relate to diet quality in children.…”

Diet, lifestyle and body weight in Irish children: findings from Irish Universities Nutrition Alliance national surveys

“…The influence of eating occasion on the diets of 5-12-year-old Irish children was examined (52) . Findings showed that food consumed from outside the home (e.g.…”

“…When compared with food consumed at home, food consumed from outside the home was found to be richer in fat (37 v. 33 %E) and less fibre-dense (10 v. 14 g/10 MJ). 'Red meats (beef, pork and lamb)' 'vegetables' and 'potatoes' were less likely to be consumed outside the home; whereas chips, meat products, pizza, confectionery and savoury snacks made the greatest contribution to foods consumed outside the home (52) . As acknowledged by the authors of this study (52) , it is difficult to make comparisons with other published data, primarily due to the different definitions used for 'food consumed outside the home'.…”