Grocery Shopping, Dinner Preparation, and Dietary Habits among Adolescents and Young Adults in Canada

Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
3 October 2018

Abstract

Purpose: The current study aimed to characterize grocery shopping and dinner preparation behaviours among young people in Canada and to examine associations with eating habits.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 2008 participants aged 16–24 from across Canada. The survey measured self-reported grocery shopping and dinner preparation behaviours, frequency of eating breakfast and eating meals prepared away from home, frequency of vegetable and fruit intake, and socio-demographic characteristics. Chi-square tests examined differences in proportions; logistic and linear regressions examined dietary habits, including covariates for grocery shopping and dinner preparation and socio-demographics.
Results: Overall, 37.3% had helped with grocery shopping in the past week, and 84.3% had participated in dinner preparation at least 1 day in the past week. Engaging in shopping at least once weekly was associated with increased vegetable and fruit consumption only, whereas more frequent engagement in dinner preparation was associated with increased vegetable and fruit consumption, more frequent breakfast consumption, and fewer meals consumed that were prepared away from home (P < 0.001 for all).
Conclusions: Increased participation in grocery shopping and dinner preparation were associated with healthier dietary habits. Interventions that increase these behaviours may contribute to improving dietary behaviours among adolescents and young adults.

Résumé

Objectif. La présente étude visait à caractériser les comportements en lien avec l’achat des aliments et la préparation du souper chez les jeunes au Canada et à examiner les associations avec les habitudes alimentaires.
Méthodes. Une enquête transversale en ligne a été menée auprès de 2 008 participants âgés de 16 à 24 ans provenant de partout au Canada. L’enquête mesurait les comportements autodéclarés en lien avec l’achat des aliments et la préparation du souper, la fréquence de consommation d’un déjeuner et de repas préparés à l’extérieur de la maison, la fréquence de consommation de fruits et légumes, et les caractéristiques sociodémographiques. Les différences de proportions ont été vérifiées à l’aide de tests du khi deux; les habitudes alimentaires, dont les covariables pour les habitudes d’achat des aliments et de préparation du souper et pour les données sociodémographiques, ont été vérifiées à l’aide de régressions linéaires et logistiques.
Résultats. Dans l’ensemble, 37,3 % des participants avaient aidé à l’achat des aliments au cours de la semaine précédente, et 84,3 % avaient participé au moins une fois à la préparation du souper au cours de la même semaine. La participation à l’achat des aliments au moins une fois par semaine était seulement associée à une hausse de la consommation de fruits et légumes, tandis qu’une participation plus fréquente à la préparation du souper était associée à une hausse de la consommation de fruits et légumes, à la prise plus fréquente d’un déjeuner et à une quantité moins importante de repas préparés à l’extérieur de la maison (P < 0,001, pour tout).
Conclusions. Une plus grande participation à l’achat des aliments et à la préparation du souper a été associée à des habitudes alimentaires plus saines. Les interventions qui favorisent ces comportements pourraient contribuer à l’amélioration des comportements alimentaires chez les adolescents et les jeunes adultes.

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Financial support: This study was supported by a grant from the Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research, as well as a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) New Investigator Award (DH) and a Chair in Applied Public Health funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in partnership with CIHR (DH). LV is a CIHR Banting Fellow, and at the time of the study, stipend support for LV was also provided by a CIHR Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship and an Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
Conflict of interest: David Hammond has provided paid expert testimony on behalf of governments in response to legal challenges to public health regulations from the beverage industry. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

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Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 79Number 4December 2018
Pages: 157 - 163

History

Version of record online: 3 October 2018

Authors

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Lana Vanderlee PhD
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON
School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
Erin P Hobin PhD
Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON
Christine M White MSc
School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON
David Hammond PhD
School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON

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