Eating for Health? A Survey of Attitudes, Awareness and Eating Habits Among Children and Young People in Northern Ireland

Author(s): Health Promotion Agency
Document Type: Report
Year: 2001
Publisher: Health Promotion Agency
Place of Publication: Belfast
Subject Area(s): Health, Lifestyle
Client Group(s) : Children, Young People

Abbreviations: NI - Northern Ireland

Background to the Research

  • Childhood and adolescence are widely recognised as the times when the foundations of diet-related conditions such as obesity, raised blood pressure, raised cholesterol and heart disease can be laid down. The eating habits of these age groups have been identified as requiring particular attention, in an effort to promote and protect the health of the young and to invest in better health for their adult years. Information on these eating habits can be used to identify particular issues that need to be addressed, and can provide a baseline against which future dietary assessments of these age groups can be measured.
  • While some information is available, little is known about the eating patterns of children of primary school age in NI.

Research Approach

  • The dietary behaviour of children and young people (5-17 years old) was assessed by asking parents about the frequency of consumption of a range of foods and about breakfast and lunchtime habits.
  • A random probability sample of 2050 addresses throughout NI was drawn from the database of the Valuation and Lands Agency. This method yielded a sample of 716 children.

Main Findings

  • Of the 716 children, 53% were male and 47% female. 52% of the sample was in the 5-11 age range and 48% in the 12-17 range. 46% of the total sample was identified as belonging to the non-manual socio-economic group and 49% to the manual socioeconomic group.
  • Most children, and more boys than girls, eat breakfast on weekdays, with 86% eating on all five weekdays and 6% on none. Girls in the 12-17 year group have the poorest weekday breakfast habit, and there is a marked decline in breakfast consumption between younger and older girls. 90% of children from non-manual households, and 82% of those from manual households eat breakfast every weekday.
  • School lunches are taken by 49% of the sample, 43% take packed lunches, 3% go home for lunch and 3% buy lunch outside school. More children from manual households eat school meals, while more from non-manual take packed lunch. Buying lunch outside school is more common among those from non-manual households; going home for lunch is more common among those from manual households.
  • 73% of children eat fruit 'most days', and 52% every day. 10% of children eat fruit less than once per week or not at all. Girls eat more fruit than boys, and younger children eat fruit more often than older children. Children from non-manual households eat fruit more frequently than those from manual households.
  • Most children eat one or two fruit portions per day.
  • 61% of the sample eat vegetables 'most days', and 40% every day. Again, girls eat vegetables more frequently, with little variation between age groups. 46% of those from non-manual and 35% from manual households eat vegetables at least once per day. Of those who eat vegetables, 91% eat one or two portions.
  • Only 11% of children were eating the recommended daily number of portions of fruit and vegetables. One in five boys and one in eight girls do not eat any on a daily basis. With little variation between ages, 12-17 year old boys were most likely to eat no fruit and vegetables, while 5-11 year old boys eat the most fruit or vegetables.
  • Children from non-manual households were most likely to eat the daily recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables, with those from manual households more than twice as likely to eat less than one portion per day.
  • 52% of the children eat bread more than once per day and 36% once per day. 47% of children form non-manual households and 56% of children from manual households eat bread more than once per day.
  • Breakfast cereal is eaten on a daily basis by 71% of the sample, and most days by a further 11%. More boys than girls eat breakfast cereal at least once a day, and more girls eat cereal less frequently than once a week or never. Older children eat breakfast cereal less frequently than those in the 5 -11 year age group. Girls in the 12-17 year old group were least likely to eat cereal every day.
  • More children from non-manual households (74%) than manual households (68%) eat breakfast cereals at least once per day.
  • 39% of the sample eat potatoes every day; 40% on most days. 12-17 year old boys eat potatoes most frequently; older girls eat potatoes least often. Children from non-manual households (81%) eat potatoes more frequently than those from manual households (75%).
  • Only 17% of the sample eats rice or pasta most days/daily, and a third less often than once a week or never. The most frequent consumers of these were 12-17 year old girls, and the least frequent were 5-11 year old boys. Children from the non-manual group were more frequent consumers of rice and pasta.
  • A quarter of all children eat red meat most days. Boys eat it more frequently than girls; older boys eat it more frequently than younger boys; and younger girls eat it more frequently than older girls.
  • Just over a quarter eat white meat most days; the majority (66%) once or twice per week. Younger children eat it less frequently than older children; and children from non-manual households more frequently than those from manual households.
  • Around 41% of children have fried, battered or breadcrumbed fish once or twice a week; 68% of children eat it less than once a week or never.
  • Around 18% of children eat meat products on most days or daily, with girls less likely to eat these regularly. Boys in the 12-17 year group and children from manual households are the most frequent consumers of these products.
  • Almost half of the sample drinks semi-skimmed milk. Older girls are five times more likely not to use any milk. More children from manual than non-manual households use whole milk, while more children from non-manual households use semi-skimmed.
  • Overall, 18% of children eat chips most days or often, and 66% once or twice per week. Older children, and those from manual households, eat chips more frequently than their opposite groups.
  • 96% of children eat other fried foods once or twice per week or less. Older boys eat other fired foods more frequently than younger boys.
  • 73% of children eat biscuits every day; 33% eat them more than once per day. A slightly higher proportion of children from manual households eat biscuits more than once per day.
  • 47% of all children have confectionary at least once a day. Boys in the 12-17 year age group, and those in manual households, are the most frequent consumers of confectionary.
  • 14% of children eat cakes and buns every day, the most frequent consumers being older boys and those from non-manual households.
  • 38% of children drink fizzy drinks or squashes containing sugar every day and 12% more than once per day. Boys drink them more often than girls; older children more often than younger children, and those from manual households more than non-manual households.
  • Fewer children drink sugar-free drinks. Girls tend to drink sugar free drinks more than boys; and younger children more than older children.
  • 52% of children eat savoury snacks, with the most marked finding being that 12% of children from manual households compared to 5% from non-manual households eat these more than once per day.

Conclusions

  • Various concerns are raised about the dietary habits of children and young people. The low fruit and vegetable consumption, high snack consumption and high fizzy drink and squash consumption, across all ages, sex and socioeconomic groups, are particularly worrying.
  • The results show clear differences between various age, gender and socioeconomic groups, with the implications of these findings discussed in relation to negative outcomes of such dietary behaviour. In particular, children from manual households are noted as appearing to have a much poorer diet, which has been the case in other such research. The groups identified as most at risk require particular attention to help them achieve a diet to protect rather than jeopardise their health.

 


 

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