Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1982

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Nutrition

Major Professor

Jean D. Skinner

Committee Members

Majorie Penfield, Frances Andrews

Abstract

Breakfast and snacking patterns and the effects of selected factors on these eating occasions were examined for 225 east Tennessee adolescents. Factors selected for examination included gender, regions (metropolitan vs. rural), mothers' employment, presence of a father in the household, number of children in the household, fathers' education, mothers' education, and who prepared breakfast. Twenty-four- hour food records and written questionnaires were collected from selected 15-18 year old adolescents attending four metropolitan and three rural high schools. Energy and nutrient intakes were evaluated for breakfast and snacks. As measures of overall quality, nutrient intakes per 1000 kilocalories and a dietary score based on the RDA per 1000 kilocalories were computed.

Thirty-four percent of the adolescents skipped breakfast on the day of the survey. Of those who ate breakfast, 83% ate at home and 12% ate at school. Forty-eight percent of breakfasts were self-prepared, 33% were mother-prepared, and 10% were obtained· from a store or vending machine. Breakfasts included breads and· cereals (64%), milk products (36%), and a fruit or fruit beverage (27%).

Adolescents' breakfasts provided less than 25% of the RDA for energy, iron, and niacin. Protein, calcium, and vitamin A intakes of females also were below that standard. With the exception of fat and ascorbic acid, nutrient intakes of the females at breakfast were lower (p≤0.05) and breakfasts were of poorer·quality than were those of males. Breakfasts consumed by metropolitan adolescents, adolescents with siblings, and adolescents who ate mother-prepared breakfasts were higher (p≤0.05) in one or more nutrients than breakfasts consumed by rural adolescents, those without siblings, and those who ate self-prepared breakfasts. The overall quality of breakfasts was higher (p≤0.05) for adolescents who lived with fathers and those whose fathers had a high school diploma than for adolescents who did not live with a father and those whose fathers had less education. Mothers' employment was not related to breakfast nutrient intakes or to the quality of breakfast.

Eighty-nine percent of the adolescents snacked on the day of the survey. Most morning snacks were eaten at school (85%) and were obtained from vending machines (83%). They consisted mainly of candy, carbonated beverages, and/or salty snacks. Many afternoon and evening snacks were eaten at home, 59% and 73%, respectively. Many of these were self-prepared and included carbonated beverages and/or bread.

The quality of snacks was low. Females consumed less than 50% of the RDA per 1000 kilocalories for calcium and iron. However, snacks made significant contributions to energy and nutrient intakes for the total day. Morning snacks were of poorer quality than were afternoon and evening snacks. With the exception of iron and thiamin, nutrient intakes of females from snacks were lower (p≤0.05) than those of males. Nutrient intakes of metropolitan and rural adolescents were similar and their snacks were of similar quality. Snacks of adolescents whose mothers were not employed were higher (p≤0.05) in nutrient density for iron and thiamin than were the snacks of those whose mothers were employed. The presence of a father in the household, the number of children in the household, and the parents' levels of education were not related to nutrient intakes from snacks.

Adolescents who did not eat evening snacks also tended to omit breakfast. Those who omitted breakfast consumed morning snacks of poorer quality than did those who ate breakfast.

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