FAMILY RESEMBLANCE IN ENERGY, FAT, AND CHOLESTEROL INTAKE - A STUDY AMONG 3 GENERATIONS OF WOMEN

Background. Transfer of nutrition habits within the family may contrib ute to the establishment of a high-fat diet. Several studies show a si gnificant correlation in nutrient intake between parents and children living in the same household. This study describes family resemblances in nutrient intake among adult women living apart. Methods. Family re semblance in fat intake was assessed in three generations of adult wom en by means of a short food-frequency questionnaire. Data were collect ed on 291 maternally related family members (97 young adult women, the ir mothers, and their grandmothers). Results. Weak correlations (0.13- 0.27) were found between nutrient intake of the younger and middle gen eration. Correlations between the middle and older generation (-0.03-0 .29) and between the younger and older generation (-0.03-0.33) tended to be lower. Conclusions. This study shows that family resemblance in nutrient intake is weak for adult women living apart. There seems to b e more impact of middle-aged mother's eating habits on the fat intake of their adult daughters than of elderly women's eating habits on thei r middle-aged daughters. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.