Am. Siegariz et al., 3 SQUARES OR MOSTLY SNACKS - WHAT DO TEENS REALLY EAT - A SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC STUDY OF METAL PATTERNS, Journal of adolescent health, 22(1), 1998, pp. 29-36
Purpose: To categorize U.S. adolescents' meal patterns and related dif
ferences in dietary quality. Methods: Using data from the Continuing S
urvey of Food Intake by Individuals, 1989-1991, meal patterns from 3 d
ays of adolescents' (ages 11-18 years) intake (n = 1310) were examined
. Consistency of meal pattern intake and associated nutrient quality w
as determined. Logistic regression was used to examine the effects of
several sociodemographic characteristics on meal pattern consistency.R
esults: A higher percentage of adolescents consumed a meal pattern tha
t included 3 meals/day than any other meal pattern: 57.4-58.7% on any
given day. Forty-one percent of adolescents fell into the consistent (
at least two meals on all 3 days), and only 3.5% fell into the inconsi
stent meal (one meal, with or without snacks, or snacks only, on all 3
days) pattern category. Logistic regression results indicated that be
ing black [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.19, 95% confidence interval (
CI) (1.90, 9.27)], older (15-18) [AOR = 1.41, 95% CI (1.19, 1.67)], an
d from a single-parent household [AOR = 2.60, 95% CI (1.23, 5.52)] wer
e predictive of an inconsistent meal pattern. School lunch has a posit
ive impact on intake, increasing a consistent meal pattern from 36.0%
to 44.9%.Conclusions: Adolescents who consume at least two meals (with
or without snacks) on a consistent basis have an adequate intake of c
alories and a more nutrient-dense diet with respect to calcium, iron,
vitamin E, and fiber than those with other meal patterns. From the per
spective of following a diet to prevent chronic diseases in adulthood,
adolescents regardless of meal pattern, consume a diet that is too hi
gh in fat, sodium, and protein, and too low in fiber. (C) Society for
Adolescent Medicine, 1998.