Research
Original Research
Trends in Energy Intake among US Children by Eating Location and Food Source, 1977-2006

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2011.05.007Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Little is known about the influence of location of food consumption and preparation upon daily energy intake of children.

Objective

To examine trends in daily energy intake by children for foods eaten at home or away from home, by source of preparation, and for combined categories of eating location and food source.

Subjects

The analysis uses data from 29,217 children aged 2 to 18 years from the 1977-1978 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey, 1989-1991 and 1994-1998 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals, and 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

Methods

Nationally representative weighted percentages and means of daily energy intake by eating location were analyzed for trends from 1977 to 2006. Comparisons by food source were examined from 1994 to 2006. Analyses were repeated for three age groups: 2 to 6 years, 7 to 12 years, and 13 to 18 years. Difference testing was conducted using a t test.

Results

Increased energy intake (+179 kcal/day) by children from 1977-2006 was associated with a major increase in energy eaten away from home (+255 kcal/day). The percentage of daily energy eaten away from home increased from 23.4% to 33.9% from 1977-2006. No further increase was observed from 1994-2006, but the sources of energy shifted. The percentage of energy from fast food increased to surpass intake from schools and become the largest contributor to foods prepared away from home for all age groups. For foods eaten away from home, the percentage of daily energy from stores increased to become the largest source of energy eaten away from home. Fast food eaten at home and store-bought food eaten away from home increased significantly.

Conclusions

Eating location and food source significantly influence daily energy intake for children. Foods prepared away from home, including fast food eaten at home and store-prepared food eaten away from home, are fueling the increase in total energy intake. However, further research using alternative data sources is necessary to verify that store-bought foods eaten away from home are increasingly store-prepared.

Section snippets

Methods

This study used data on 29,217 children aged 2 to 18 years from four nationally representative surveys of food intake for the US population: 11,499 participants from the 1977 to 1978 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey (NFCS77) (19); 3,122 participants from the 1989 to 1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII89) (20); 7,952 participants from the 1994 to 1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals, combined with children ages 2 to 9 surveyed in 1998 (CSFII94) (21);

Results

Sociodemographic characteristics and unadjusted energy intakes are presented in Table 1. Overall daily energy intake has risen from NFCS77 to NHANES03 (+179 kcal/day, P<0.01). By age group, daily energy increased by 241 kcal (P<0.01), 175 kcal (P<0.01), and 160 kcal (P<0.01) for preschoolers aged 2 to 6 years, young children aged 7 to 12 years, and adolescents aged 13 to 18 years, respectively, over this time period.

Discussion

Increased total daily energy intake by children from 1977 to 2006 was associated with a major shift toward increased energy consumed away from home (+255 kcal/day) whereas the number of kilocalories eaten at home has declined only slightly (−76 kcal/day). From 1994 to 2006, the sources of food eaten at home and away from home have shifted. Stores maintained their role as the predominant source of energy for children, but the proportion of energy from fast food and restaurants increased. Energy

Conclusions

This study highlights the continuing rapid shifts in the sources of food for children in the United States—both where it is eaten and where it is prepared. These results underscore the need to deepen our understanding of food preparation and consumption patterns and further pinpoint where research and programmatic activity should focus. The differences in energy intake by eating location revealed in this analysis demonstrate that eating location is an important factor in the diets of American

J. M. Poti is a doctoral student, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

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    J. M. Poti is a doctoral student, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

    B. M. Popkin is a professor, Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.

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    Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.