Abstract P062: Dietary Behavior Changes from Adolescence to Young Adulthood: Findings from Project EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens and Young Adults)
Authors: Meyer Katie , Larson Nicole , Story Mary , Cutler Gretchen , Hannan Peter J , Neumark-Sztainer Dianne 
Published: July 2021

Introduction:
Adolescence and young adulthood are important periods for the development of dietary behaviors. We hypothesized that as adolescents transitioned to young adulthood, breakfast consumption would increase and fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption would decrease.

Methods:
Project EAT is a 10-year, population-based, longitudinal study of multiethnic Minnesotans, aged 11-18 at baseline (1999). Participants (n=1,581) reported their frequency of breakfast consumption, eating at fast food restaurants, and drinking SSBs at each of 3 survey periods: EAT-I in 1999, EAT-II in 2004, and EAT-III in 2009. We studied changes in dietary behaviors as participants aged from early/middle adolescence (EAT-I, ages 16-23) to late adolescence (EAT-II, ages 16-23) to young adulthood (EAT-III, ages 21-31). We estimated prevalences of behaviors with logistic regression adjusting for demographics, and weighted by a propensity-to-respond method to reflect the socio-demographic diversity of the full EAT-I sample (gender: 43% (n=680) male; race/ethnicity: 54% (854) white, 14% (221) black, 5.5% (87) Hispanic, 19% (300) Asian, 7.5% (119) mixed/other).

Results:
Dietary behaviors changed significantly across the study period, with gender differences in the patterns of breakfast and fast food consumption (table). During the transition from late adolescence to young adulthood, regular breakfast consumption (5+ times/week) increased among both females and males, and frequent fast food consumption (3+ times/week) declined among females. Among males, regular breakfast consumption declined between early/middle adolescence and late adolescence. Daily SSB consumption declined from late adolescence to young adulthood.

Conclusion:
Breakfast consumption increased and fast food and SSB consumption decreased during the transition from late adolescence to young adulthood. The possibility of gender differences in dietary changes merits further study.

Table.

Multivariable-adjusted

1

prevalence estimates of breakfast, fast food, and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among Project EAT participants in early/middle adolescence, late adolescence, and young adulthood.

Project EAT-I (1999) Early/Middle Adolescence
Project EAT-II (2004) Late Adolescence
Project EAT-III (2009) Young Adulthood

Age range
11-18 years
16-23 years
21-31 years

Prevalence,% (95% CI)
Prevalence, % (95% CI)
Prevalence, % (95% CI)

Breakfast (5+ times/week)

Males

2

43.6 (35.8-51.7)
31.2 (27.1-35.6)
44.3 (36.2-52.7)

Females
31.7 (25.4-38.8)
32.0 (28.4-35.7)
59.1 (51.3-66.4)

Fast food (3+ times/week)

Males

3

21.7 (15.4-27.4)
30.6 (26.6-35.0)
25.3 (18.8-33.2)

Females
19.4 (14.5-25.5)
24.3 (20.9-28.0)
12.2 (8.5-17.3)

SSB (1+ servings/day)

Males

4

57.4 (49.4-65.1)
53.4 (48.5-58.1)
30.6 (23.6-38.7)

Females
45.8 (38.4-53.3)
39.4 (35.7-43.3)
21.0 (15.8-27.2)

1

Adjusted for age, race, and baseline socioeconomic status of the participant's parents.

2

Gender by study interaction term p-value<0.0001.

3

Gender by study interaction term p-value=0.0008.

4

Gender by study interaction term p-value=0.83.