Dietary habits during adolescence - results of the Belgian Adolux Study

Objective of the present study: To analyse the usual dietary habits of Belg ian adolescents from a high cardiovascular risk population. Methods: A food frequency questionnaire (57 items) was administered to the whole sample. Complementary questions specified some types of food (eg fat content). A subgroup of 234 adolescents gave detailed information on portio n size (picture book and food samples). Setting: Twenty-four secondary schools in the Belgian province of Luxembour g. Subjects: A total of 1526 adolescents (12 - 17y) selected by a multicluster ed stage sampling (participation: 83.6%). Results: Respectively 46% and 60% of the adolescents did not eat fruit and vegetables daily. Most of the adolescents (72%) consumed at least one dairy product daily. The frequent consumption of chocolate and French fries indi cated the strong cultural influence on dietary habits while imported foods (like hamburgers) had little success. One-third of the adolescents (33%, n = 509) drank alcohol at least once a week and this proportion rose to 57% i n the oldest age group. Boys and girls differed significantly in their diet , with girls choosing healthier foods. Dietary habits, in particular drinki ng habits, differed also significantly between education levels, assessed b y the learning option of the participants. The semi-quantitative questionna ire showed that two-thirds of the adolescents had a lipid intake (mainly sa turated fatty acids) which exceeded 35% of the total caloric intake. Comple x carbohydrates represented less than half of the total carbohydrates intak e. Conclusion: The study of the diet of Belgian adolescents confirmed the stro ng influence of tradition, in particular on the consumption of high fat con tent foods. The promotion of healthy diet in adolescents should consider th e cultural influence, even for this young age group.