Differentiating between the effect of rapid dietary acculturation and the effect of living away from home for the first time, on the diets of Greek students studying in Glasgow

The diets of University students, particularly those living away from the family home, are characterised by a number of undesirable practices such as meal skipping, frequent snacking and low intakes of fruits and vegetables. This study aimed to identify the extent to which the previously reported negative changes in the eating habits of Greek students living in Glasgow were the result of rapid dietary acculturation (the 'Glasgow effect'), and the extent to which these changes were the result of living away from the family home for the first time. Using a self-administered questionnaire, we assessed the diets before and after commencing university of Greek students living in the family home (n=43) or away from home either in Greece (n=37) or in Glasgow (n=55). No significant changes were observed in the diets of students who continued to live at home after starting university. Significant changes observed only in the students living in Glasgow were decreases in consumption frequency of fresh fruits, meat and cheese, and increases in consumption of snack foods. These changes were attributed to rapid dietary acculturation. Young Greek adults faced difficulties in maintaining a traditional Mediterranean diet after leaving the family home, particularly after moving to a Northern European environment.     

Changes in dietary habits following temporal migration. The case of international students in Belgium

This paper reports findings from a cross-sectional survey carried out in April-May 2006 among international students enrolled at Ghent University in Belgium. The aim of the study was to assess their knowledge and attitudes related to nutrition, perceived changes in dietary habits, perceived barriers to healthy eating and the determinants of dietary changes since their arrival in Belgium. In total, 235 students from 60 countries participated. Following the reported dietary changes, which were factor-analyzed into "less energy-dense" foods, "more fruits and vegetables" and "less processed" foods, three clusters could be identified. Cluster 1 composed of students who increased their fruits, vegetables and fiber intake. Cluster 2, the largest, reported dietary changes overall and in particular towards less processed foods. Cluster 3 composed of students who changed in the main towards less energy-dense foods. Gender differences were observed in healthy dietary changes, particularly in males. Healthier choices were hindered by a perceived unavailability of healthy food products. Gender and availability of healthy foods should be taken into consideration when informing temporal migration populations, such as international students in this study, about the healthy food options available during their stay in a different cultural, food and dietary environment.     

How Does the Family Influence Adolescent Eating Habits in Terms of Knowledge,Attitudes and Practices? A Global Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies

Promoting healthy eating habits can prevent adolescent obesity in which family may play a significant role. This review synthesized findings from qualitative studies to identify family barriers and facilitators of adolescent healthy eating in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). A literature search of four databases was completed on 31 July 2020; qualitative studies that explored family factors of adolescent (aged 10 to 19 years) eating habits were included. A total of 48 studies were identified, with the majority being from North America and sampled from a single source. Ten themes on how family influences adolescent dietary KAP were found: Knowledge—(1) parental education, (2) parenting style, and (3) family illness experience; Attitudes—(4) family health, (5) cultivation of preference, and (6) family motivation; Practices—(7) home meals and food availability, (8) time and cost, (9) parenting style, and (10) parental practical knowledge and attitudes. This review highlights five parental characteristics underlying food parenting practices which affect adolescents’ KAP on healthy eating. Adolescents with working parents and who are living in low-income families are more vulnerable to unhealthy eating. There is a need to explore cultural-specific family influences on adolescents’ KAP, especially regarding attitudes and food choices in Asian families.     

Masculinity and food ideals of men who live alone

Most studies of social aspects of foods have focused on people in multi-person households, often from the perspective of women. Little is known about the food-related experiences of men who live alone. We therefore conducted a qualitative study with 12 men aged 27-47 who lived alone in Vancouver, Canada. Our goals were to explore their food-related ideals, and their perceptions of how those ideals relate to their actual food practices, the context of living alone, and masculine identities. Data were collected through food journals and semi-structured interviews. The men's ideals included being conscious and organized with respect to food so that they could regularly eat meals prepared at home from healthy ingredients. Eating with others was considered an ideal food context, where the meal became an "occasion", as opposed to "just eating". Participants believed that their eating habits often did not live up to these ideals because of lack of time and because the context of living alone was not conducive to eating well. However, they thought their habits were better than what they perceived to be the habits of a stereotypical bachelor who does not know how to cook and has a 'who cares' attitude towards food.     

Evaluating Mediterranean diet adherence in university student populations: Does this dietary pattern affect students' academic performance and mental health?

Adherence to a healthy diet such as Mediterranean Diet (MD) may exert beneficial effects in university students, promoting their academic performance and quality of life, as well as their mental and physical health status. In this aspect, the present study aimed to critically analyze the current epidemiological evidence concerning MD adherence of university students' populations. PubMed database was comprehensively searched, using relative keywords. Students' dietary habits are moving away from MD guidelines towards unhealthy eating patterns, especially for those living away from home and even for students with a Mediterranean country origin. Most of the available studies have documented that poorer students' health status was associated with lower MD adherence. Higher MD adherence was correlated with lower depression risk, while higher perceived stress score with lower fruit and vegetables intake. The access of students to information and knowledge provided by courses and lectures did not effectively enhance their compliance to MD. Alarmingly enough, the majority of students, even from medical and nutritional university departments, showed inadequate knowledge on healthy eating habits. Due to the influence of diet on the quality of life and the mental and physical health of students, it is crucial to redirect research focus on this important aspect.     

Impact of living arrangements and nationality on food habits and nutrient intakes in young adults

The influence of living arrangements and nationality on nutrient intakes and food habits and beliefs were explored in young adults. Two hundred and thirty-two participants (20.4±2.8 years) completed a food questionnaire and two 24-h food records. Sixty-nine percent were living at home, and 72% described their nationality as Australian. Most participants performed their own food preparation (84%); those living away from home were significantly more likely to purchase and prepare their meals than those living at home, and no differences were observed between nationalities. The importance of healthy eating behaviours was recognised by over 80% of participants, with no differences observed between living arrangements or nationalities. Those living away from home and those who identified themselves as Australian consumed significantly more alcoholic drinks than those living at home and non-Australians. Eighty-four percent perceived their diets as healthy, however high saturated fat (13.4±3.9% energy) and sodium (2382±1166mg) and low fibre (23±9g) diets were consumed. Overall, few differences were observed between nationalities indicating assimilation of food cultures. Future interventions need to address the disconnect between nutrition knowledge and behaviour, irrespective of living arrangements and need to be appropriate for a range of nationalities.     

Differences in Adolescents’ Food Habits Checklist (AFHC) Scores before and during Pandemic in a Population-Based Sample: Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study

The COVID-19 pandemic is known to influence the dietary habits of adults, but results for adolescents in studies are ambiguous. The present work aimed to analyze the differences in the scores of the Adolescents’ Food Habits Checklist (AFHC) before and during the pandemic in the Polish Adolescents’ COVID-19 Experience (PLACE-19) Study population. The PLACE-19 Study was conducted during the pandemic among a population of 2448 students recruited from secondary schools in all regions of Poland using a random quota sampling. The participants were required to complete an AFHC consisting of 23 items pertaining to food purchase, preparation, and consumption habits. Current habits (during the pandemic) and previous habits were assessed and scored separately. The total (p = 0.001), purchase (p < 0.001), and consumption scores (p = 0.014) indicated that the AFHC scores during the pandemic were higher than before. For questions on purchase habits, a lower number of respondents reported eating in a restaurant, eating takeaway meals, having lunch away from home, or buying pastries, cakes or crisps. For questions on preparation habits, an greater number of respondents reported that they usually avoided eating fried food and tried to keep their overall sugar intake down, but fewer respondents said they tried to have low-fat desserts. For questions on consumption habits, a lower number of respondents reported that they usually ate a dessert or pudding if one were available and a larger number said they made sure to eat at least one serving of vegetables or salad a day and at least three servings of fruit most days. Based on the obtained results, it may be stated that although there was an increase in the AFHC scores during the pandemic, a similar share of respondents showed improved or worsened food habits, and a similar share changed their food habits from healthy to unhealthy and from unhealthy to healthy. At the same time, a majority of changes were associated with purchase habits, which were probably forced by lockdowns and the resultant restrictions in eating out or grocery shopping.     

Impact of Eating Context on Dietary Choices of College Students: Evidence from the HEALTHY-UNICT Project

While personal characteristics have been evaluated as determinants of dietary choices over the years, only recently studies have looked at the impact of eating context. Examining eating context, however, can be challenging. Here, we propose the use of a web-app for the Ecological Momentary Assessment of dietary habits among 138 college students from Catania (Italy) and therefore for examining the impact of eating context on dietary choices. Eating away from home was associated with lower odds of consuming vegetables, fruits, and legumes and higher odds of consuming processed meat, salty snacks, and alcoholic drinks compared with eating at home. Eating in the company of other people was associated with higher odds of consuming vegetables, red meat, fish, legumes, milk, and sugar-sweetened beverages and lower odds of consuming nuts than eating alone. This study proposed a new way to capture and assess how eating environment might affect dietary habits. Based on our results, meal location and social context have significant effects on the dietary choices of college students, pointing to the need to incorporate these aspects into further epidemiological studies.     

Analysis of Food Habits during Pandemic in a Polish Population-Based Sample of Primary School Adolescents: Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study

The improper dietary behaviors of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, which are associated with lockdowns and reduced physical activity, are a complex problem, potentially resulting in increased risk of diet-related diseases, including overweight and obesity and their consequences. The aim of the study was to assess the food habits during the COVID-19 pandemic and to define their association with physical activity and body mass changes in a Polish population of primary school adolescents within the Diet and Activity of Youth During COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study. The DAY-19 Study was conducted in June 2020 in a national cohort of 1334 primary school students aged 10–16 years, recruited based on a stratified random sampling of schools (sampling counties from voivodeships and schools from counties). The Adolescent Food Habits Checklist (AFHC) was used to assess food habits, associated with food purchase, preparation, and consumption, which in the studied group were analyzed separately for the period before (retrospective data) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (prospective data). The recognizable physical activity changes and recognizable body mass changes were also assessed (retrospective data) and respondents were classified as those declaring that their physical activity and body mass decreased, remained stable, or increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was observed that during the COVID-19 pandemic the majority of food habits changed in a statistically significant way (p < 0.05). Within food purchase habits, the number of respondents who declared choosing a low-fat lunch away from home decreased, often buying pastries or cakes decreased, and buying a low-fat crisps brand increased (p < 0.05). Within food preparation habits, the number of respondents who declared trying to keep overall fat intake down increased, trying to keep overall sugar intake down increased, eating at least one serving of vegetables or salad with evening meal increased, and usually including some chocolate and/or biscuits in a packed lunch decreased (p < 0.05). Within food consumption habits, the number of respondents who declared making sure that they eat at least one serving of fruit a day increased, eating at least three servings of fruit most days increased, making sure that they eat at least one serving of vegetables or salad a day increased, trying to ensure that they eat plenty of fruit and vegetables increased, often choosing a fruit when they have a snack between meals increased, eating at least three servings of fruit most days increased, and generally trying to have a healthy diet increased (p < 0.05). It was concluded that in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and resultant remote education, adolescents in Poland presented different food habits than before, while the majority of changes were positive. The positive food purchase, preparation, and consumption habits were observed mainly in sub-groups of adolescents declaring decreased body mass or increased physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. It may be suggested that physical activity may support positive changes of dietary behaviors and while combined positive changes of diet and increased physical activity, they may effectively promote body mass reduction in adolescents.     

Comparison of College Students’ Current Eating Habits and Recollections of Their Childhood Food Practices

In order to investigate the stability of food habits from childhood into late adolescence, we compared the current eating habits of college students and their recollections of their childhood caregivers’ feeding practices.The 546 subjects responded to a questionnaire sent to 1000 18- to 23-year-old college students. Subjects’ current eating habits were related to their recollections of their caregivers’ feeding practices and their own food habits when the subjects were children. For example, current habits such as eating all food on the plate, using food as an incentive, eating dessert, and eating regularly scheduled meals were dependent on those feeding practices being used by caregivers during the respondent's childhood. In addition, current consideration of nutrition when selecting food was dependent on caregivers talking about nutrition. This study contributes to existing literature that links parent-child feeding relationships to the development of an individual's relationship with food.     

Eating at the university canteen. Associations with socioeconomic status and healthier self-reported eating habits in France

French university canteens offer structured meals at a fixed moderate price. We examined whether eating regularly at university canteens was associated with socioeconomic status (SES) or dietary practices. The study data came from a cross-sectional study of a random sample of 1723 students aged 18-24 years, in their first year of university in 2005-2006, enrolled in the universities of southeastern France (response rate=71%). Self-reported dietary practices were collected with a behavioral questionnaire. Adjusted logistic regressions showed that eating regularly at university canteens was less frequent among students with less than ?300 monthly resources and not living with their families (OR=0.68 [95%CI: 0.49-0.94]). It was also positively associated, regardless of SES, with the consumption of at least five servings of fruit/vegetables daily (OR=1.42 [1.05-1.92]) and one serving of meat/fish daily (OR=1.41 [1.13-1.76]) but not with either restricting fatty food (OR=1.04 [0.81-1.33]) or never/rarely adding salt to food (OR=1.06 [0.85-1.32]). Eating regularly at university canteens was less frequent among less well-off students and was positively associated with some healthier self-reported dietary habits. Further research is needed to confirm these results in the overall student population in France and to understand the determinants of university canteen utilization.     

The impact on eating habits of temporary translocation from a Mediterranean to a Northern European environment

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of temporary translocation from a Mediterranean to a Northern European environment on the eating habits of a group of foreign students. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of eating habits before and after moving from Greece to Glasgow, Scotland. SETTING: University of Glasgow. SUBJECTS: Eighty post-graduate Greek students. INTERVENTIONS: A self-administered questionnaire comprising of three major sections: (1) general eating habits; (2) frequency of eating selected food items; (3) opinion of food availability in Glasgow. RESULTS: After moving to Glasgow, significant decreases were reported in the frequency of consuming fresh fruit, raw vegetables, fish, legumes, meat, poultry and fresh fruit juice. The frequency of eating biscuits, savoury snacks, soft/fizzy drinks, alcoholic drinks and mayonnaise, dips and sauces increased. The estimated median daily consumption of fruit and vegetables decreased from 363 g in Greece to just 124 g in Glasgow, well below the Scottish and WHO dietary target of 400 g/day. The main perceived barriers to maintaining customary eating habits were the price of food, the lack of familiar tastes, the greater availability of convenience food and the limited variety of food available in Glasgow, when compared to Greece. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the difficulties that migrant populations face in retaining traditional, often healthier, eating habits when migrating to a foreign country. Barriers of high cost, limited availability and poor quality of familiar foods, need to be addressed in order for migrants to maintain their customary eating patterns. Furthermore, these barriers need to be addressed before nutritionists can expect to see the widespread adoption of the Mediterranean diet by Western populations less familiar with this eating pattern.     

Adolescents from low‐income families in Hong Kong and unhealthy eating behaviours: Implications for health and social care practitioners

The development of dietary preferences of adolescents involves a complex interplay of individual behaviours and environmental factors. Interpersonal factors—such as peer influences and unpleasant school experiences—and institutional factors—such as school rules and policies—are closely associated with unhealthy eating of adolescents. Family support and guidance are also crucial in influencing adolescents’ eating habits. However, the low social status, low educational levels, and low household incomes of disadvantaged parents can markedly prevent their children from establishing healthy eating habits. Therefore, adolescents from low‐income families are more likely to engage in unhealthy dietary behaviours and hence to be more susceptible to diet‐related health problems. However, few studies have addressed the difficulties associated with inculcating healthy eating habits among adolescents from low‐income families. Therefore, to investigate the barriers to adopting healthy eating habits, this study adopted a qualitative research approach and conducted five focus‐group semistructured interviews with 30 junior‐ and senior‐form students of a secondary school in Hong Kong, all of whom were from low‐income families. The results revealed skipping meals because of poverty, following irregular meal patterns on school holidays, receiving poor guidance from family and peers, perceiving healthy eating as expensive and unappealing, and geographical inaccessibility to healthy food all prevented these students from healthy eating. These mutually reinforcing factors were interlocking with the economic strain that was experienced by the participants and their families. In particular, the stereotype of “healthful food is expensive” was strong. Therefore, we suggest students from low‐income families should be enabled to understand that healthy eating is not necessarily expensive. The participants’ stereotypes about healthy food was handed down by their parents. Such stereotypes, together with the low health literacy, influence the food preparation habits of the parents. Therefore, parents should be made to aware that healthful food can also be affordable.     

Impact of commercial eating on nutrient adequacy

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of eating away from home (at commercial establishments) on nutrient adequacy by examining frequency of eating away from home, the nutritional value of foods eaten both away and at home, and the nutritional adequacy of the daily diets of individuals. Data from 3,500 individuals, 15 years of age or older, interviewed in the fall quarter of the 1977-78 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey were used. Results indicate that although the nutrient density of food eaten away from home was lower than that of food eaten at home, the persons studied did not eat out frequently enough to influence the adequacy of their diets significantly. The low nutrient density of food eaten away from home does suggest, however, that individuals could be putting themselves at risk of some nutrient inadequacies (particularly of calcium and vitamins A, B-6, and C) or of caloric excess if they substantially increase their frequency of eating away from home. Teenagers and senior citizens seem most vulnerable to potential nutritional inadequacies.     

Food,eating and taste: Parents’ perspectives on the making of the middle class teenager

This paper reports findings from a qualitative study of views and understandings of dietary practices in middle class families. Thirty five parents/main food providers of boys and girls aged 13/14 years, living in Eastern Scotland, were interviewed about their and their teenagers’ everyday lives, food, health and family practices. One of our aims was to understand more about the social and cultural conditions which might be promoting more positive dietary health and physical well-being amongst middle class families. Most parents’ accounts appeared rooted in a taken-for-grantedness that family members enjoyed good health, lived in relatively secure and unthreatening environments regarding health and resources, and were able to lead active lives, which they valued. Although controlling teenagers’ eating practices was presented as an ongoing challenge, active supervision and surveillance of their diets was described, as was guiding tastes in ‘the right direction’. Parents described attempts to achieve family eating practices such as commensality, cooking from scratch, and encouraging a varied and nutritional ‘adult’ diet and cosmopolitan tastes, though work and activities could compromise these. These middle class families might be characterized as having future oriented ‘hierarchies of luxury and choice’, in which controlling and moulding teenagers’ food practices and tastes was assigned a high priority.     

Determinants of healthy eating in community-dwelling elderly people

Among seniors, food choice and related activities are affected by health status, biological changes wrought by aging and functional abilities, which are mediated in the larger arena by familial, social and economic factors. Determinants of healthy eating stem from individual and collective factors. Individual components include age, sex, education, physiological and health issues, psychological attributes, lifestyle practices, and knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours, in addition to other universal dietary determinants such as income, social status and culture. Collective determinants of healthy eating, such as accessible food labels, an appropriate food shopping environment, the marketing of the "healthy eating" message, adequate social support and provision of effective, community-based meal delivery services have the potential to mediate dietary habits and thus foster healthy eating. However, there is a startling paucity of research in this area, and this is particularly so in Canada. Using search and inclusion criteria and key search strings to guide the research, this article outlines the state of knowledge and research gaps in the area of determinants of healthy eating among Canadian seniors. In conclusion, dietary self-management persists in well, independent seniors without financial constraints, whatever their living arrangements, whereas nutritional risk is high among those in poor health and lacking in resources. Further study is necessary to clarify contributors to healthy eating in order to permit the development and evaluation of programs and services designed to encourage and facilitate healthy eating in older Canadians.     

Food cravings, ethnicity and other factors related to eating out

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to study factors related to eating patterns, specifically whether certain food cravings were associated with frequency of meals eaten away from home. METHODS: Data were collected from 277 patients from a family medicine residency office in Arizona. The survey questionnaire included information about the respondents' demographics, socioeconomic status, food cravings, as well as, number of meals eaten away from home. The food craving inventory included foods in four categories identified by factor analysis: fast foods, carbohydrates, sweets and snacks. Data on food cravings were factor analyzed and scale scores were derived. RESULTS: Being a Hispanic adult, working outside the home, and cravings for individual food items were related to eating more meals away from home. If the mother was working outside the home, the youngest child ate an average of two additional meals away from home each week. In general respondent's cravings for some specific food items were also related to higher numbers of meals their child ate away from home. Cravings for both fast food and snacks were positively correlated with adult eating out. None of the respondents' scale scores were related to child's eating away from home. Adults with Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System insurance (AHCCCS--a form of Medicaid) and older adults were less likely to eat away from home compared to patients with other types of insurance. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and food cravings are related to adult and child patterns of eating meals away from home.     

广州市中小学生饮食行为和卫生习惯现状

目的 了解广州市中小学生饮食行为和卫生习惯现状，为学生健康教育提供参考。方法2004年3～4月，分层随机整群抽取广州市8所小学四至六年级、9所中学初一至高三年级学生8222名进行问卷调查。结果学生每天吃早餐、午餐、晚餐的比例依次为95．0％，98．9％和97．8％，大部分学生在家里吃饭。早上7：00前吃早餐为多，占58．0％；在1周的饮食中有15．5％的学生每天吃糖果、巧克力等甜品1次以上，有56．1％的学生每天喝牛奶或相同量的奶制品少于1杯（约200mL），20．9％的学生每天喝含糖碳酸饮料1次以上，有34．5％的学生每天吃蔬菜少于1次，有少部分学生每天吃油炸、腌熏食物1次以上；大多数学生有饭前便后洗手、早晚刷牙的习惯；有38．3％的学生在调查前1周内光顾过街边小摊。结论中小学生是不良饮食行为和卫生习惯预防的重点人群。提倡在中小学生中开展个性化健康教育矫正不良饮食行为和卫生习惯。