Environmental Factors That Impact the Eating Behaviors of Low-income African American Adolescents in Baltimore City

Characteristics of Youth Food Preparation in Low-Income, African American Homes: Associations with Healthy Eating Index Scores

“…Older age was associated with a lower Healthy Eating Index Score. As children approach adolescence their diet may worsen as they gain greater dietary autonomy, choose more junk food and snacks between meals, and eat more foods away from home (Christiansen et al 2013, Jenkins and Homer 2005). Also the higher proportion of foods utilizing frying methods, may be adding additional fat to their diet.…”

“…A previous study in Baltimore with youth 10–16 years old found that youth were unlikely to go to food sources that were not within walking distance. When youth described these food sources, many indicated that fruits and vegetables were often not available (Christiansen et al 2013). Youth will only be able to prepare either what they purchase or what their caregiver purchases at the surrounding food sources, which in this situation is primarily corner stores, fast food restaurants and carry-out restaurants (Gittelsohn et al 2014).…”

“…Youth ages 10–16 are often driven by taste of foods and convenience (Christiansen et al 2013) rather than healthiness of foods when making food choices and also cite encouragement in the family setting as a support for healthy eating (Shepherd et al 2006). In children aged 2–18, increased energy intake from 1977–2006 was associated with an increase in energy eaten away from home (Poti and Popkin 2011) and family meal frequency and overweight status were found to be inversely related in early adolescent females (Fulkerson et al 2008).…”

“…Yet little work has been done to explore youth’s food preparation patterns, and how it relates to their dietary patterns and obesity risk. Previous studies in Baltimore City found that low income children ages 10–16 are purchasing and preparing their own food, and that it potentially negatively contributes to their diet quality with common food purchases of sugar sweetened beverages, chips, and candy and greater food preparation being associated with higher BMI(Christiansen et al 2013 and Kramer et al 2012). In a recent analysis of the question “do you cook” in a school-based food education program, 79% of children reported cooking, 42% reported making food with friends, and 87% reported making food with family (Cunningham-Sabo and Lohse 2013).…”

Food environments are relevant to recruitment and adherence in dietary modification trials

“…Knowledge of these external influences can lead to better designed and more externally valid interventions. Despite the growing body of evidence showing an association between an individual's food access within their neighborhood and fruit/vegetable consumption in adults [1, 2], fruit/vegetable consumption in children [3], obesity levels [4-11], higher levels of dietary quality in pregnant women [12], differences in eating patterns [13-15], and the identification of the built environment as a predictor of adherence in physical activity interventions [16], few studies have examined the role of neighborhood food access in dietary modification trials.…”