Research Finds Large Percentage of Adolescents, Young Adults Eating Fast Food More Than Three Times per Week

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (March 19, 2008) -- University of Minnesota School of Public Health researchers found that more than 20 percent of adolescent males and females frequently consume fast food – that is, more than three times per week. As these adolescents made the transition to young adulthood, the percentage of males frequently eating fast food increased to 33 percent while the proportion of females that reported frequently eating fast food remained high but did not increase. “Adolescence and the early adult years are a busy time, but relying too much on calorie-dense fast food options may have long-term consequences for health,” said Nicole Larson, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.D., lead author of the study.

In addition to examining longitudinal trends in fast food intake during the transition from adolescence to young adulthood, this Project Eating Among Teens (EAT) study identified factors during adolescence that were related to fast food consumption in young adulthood.

Several socioeconomic and demographic differences in fast food consumption were also found among young adults. Young men and women from lower-income families were most likely to report eating something from a fast food restaurant three or more times per week. And females’ weekly fast food intake was related to hours of weekly employment, postsecondary student status, and living situation. For example, frequent fast food consumption was most common among females who were working 40 or more hours per week (26 percent), while females attending a four-year college and those who were living on a college/university campus were least likely to report eating fast food, at 14 percent and 10 percent respectively.

Other characteristics reported during adolescence were also associated with fast food consumption during young adulthood. Males who agreed as teenagers that many of their friends care about eating healthy food and females who reported caring more about being healthy and eating healthy foods as teenagers were less likely to report frequently eating fast food five years later. Likewise, females who reported greater confidence in their ability to make healthy food choices as teenagers were also less likely to report frequently eating fast food as young adults.

Data for the current study were drawn from Project EAT (Eating Among Teens), a prospective, population-based study designed to examine determinants of dietary intake and weight status. The sample consisted of 1,686 young adults (45 percent male) who completed questions assessing fast food intake on the Project EAT survey at baseline and follow-up. At baseline the mean age of participants was 15.9 years and at follow-up was 20.5 years.

The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.

Contact: Laura Stroup, Academic Health Center, 612-624-5680 or stro0481@umn.edu
Nick Hanson, Academic Health Center, 612-624-2449 or hans2583@umn.edu