Associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake: a latent trajectory analysis
Abstract Background Early adulthood is a period of rapid personal development when individuals experience major life transitions (e.g. leaving the parental home, leaving education, beginning employment, cohabitation and parenthood). Changes in social and physical environments associated with these t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-10-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12966-020-01024-4 |
| _version_ | 1819230089918808064 |
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| author | Eleanor M. Winpenny Megan R. Winkler Jan Stochl Esther M. F. van Sluijs Nicole Larson Dianne Neumark-Sztainer |
| author_facet | Eleanor M. Winpenny Megan R. Winkler Jan Stochl Esther M. F. van Sluijs Nicole Larson Dianne Neumark-Sztainer |
| author_sort | Eleanor M. Winpenny |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Early adulthood is a period of rapid personal development when individuals experience major life transitions (e.g. leaving the parental home, leaving education, beginning employment, cohabitation and parenthood). Changes in social and physical environments associated with these transitions may influence development of health-related behaviours. Consumption of fast food is one behaviour associated with poor diet and long-term health outcomes. In this study we assess how frequency of fast food consumption changes across early adulthood, and how major life transitions are associated with changes in fast food intake. Methods Data were collected across four waves of the Project EAT study, from mean age 14.9 (SD = 1.6) to mean age 31.1 (SD = 1.6) years. Participants reporting data at two or more waves were included (n = 2902). Participants reported past week frequency of eating food from a fast food restaurant and responded to questions on living arrangements, education and employment participation, and having children. To assess changes in fast food we developed a latent growth model incorporating an underlying trajectory of fast food intake, five life transitions, and time-invariant covariates. Results Mean fast food intake followed an underlying quadratic trajectory, increasing through adolescence to a maximum of 1.88 (SE 0.94) times/week and then decreasing again through early adulthood to 0.76 (SE 2.06) times/week at wave 4. Beginning full-time employment and becoming a parent both contributed to increases in fast food intake, each resulting in an average increase in weekly fast food intake of 0.16 (p < 0.01) times/week. Analysis of changes between pairs of waves revealed stronger associations for these two transitions between waves 1–2 (mean age 14.9–19.4 years) than seen in later waves. Leaving the parental home and beginning cohabitation were associated with decreases in fast food intake of − 0.17 (p = 0.004) and − 0.16 (p = 0.007) times/week respectively, while leaving full-time education was not associated with any change. Conclusions The transitions of beginning full-time employment and becoming a parent were associated with increases in fast food intake. Public health policy or interventions designed to reduce fast food intake in young adults may benefit from particular focus on populations experiencing these transitions, to ameliorate their impact. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:23:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-211678226cd440ccb68f5c6e7f8db38e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1479-5868 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T11:23:32Z |
| publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity |
| spelling | doaj.art-211678226cd440ccb68f5c6e7f8db38e2022-12-21T17:49:01ZengBMCInternational Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity1479-58682020-10-0117111110.1186/s12966-020-01024-4Associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake: a latent trajectory analysisEleanor M. Winpenny0Megan R. Winkler1Jan Stochl2Esther M. F. van Sluijs3Nicole Larson4Dianne Neumark-Sztainer5MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of CambridgeDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeMRC Epidemiology Unit, University of CambridgeDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaDivision of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of MinnesotaAbstract Background Early adulthood is a period of rapid personal development when individuals experience major life transitions (e.g. leaving the parental home, leaving education, beginning employment, cohabitation and parenthood). Changes in social and physical environments associated with these transitions may influence development of health-related behaviours. Consumption of fast food is one behaviour associated with poor diet and long-term health outcomes. In this study we assess how frequency of fast food consumption changes across early adulthood, and how major life transitions are associated with changes in fast food intake. Methods Data were collected across four waves of the Project EAT study, from mean age 14.9 (SD = 1.6) to mean age 31.1 (SD = 1.6) years. Participants reporting data at two or more waves were included (n = 2902). Participants reported past week frequency of eating food from a fast food restaurant and responded to questions on living arrangements, education and employment participation, and having children. To assess changes in fast food we developed a latent growth model incorporating an underlying trajectory of fast food intake, five life transitions, and time-invariant covariates. Results Mean fast food intake followed an underlying quadratic trajectory, increasing through adolescence to a maximum of 1.88 (SE 0.94) times/week and then decreasing again through early adulthood to 0.76 (SE 2.06) times/week at wave 4. Beginning full-time employment and becoming a parent both contributed to increases in fast food intake, each resulting in an average increase in weekly fast food intake of 0.16 (p < 0.01) times/week. Analysis of changes between pairs of waves revealed stronger associations for these two transitions between waves 1–2 (mean age 14.9–19.4 years) than seen in later waves. Leaving the parental home and beginning cohabitation were associated with decreases in fast food intake of − 0.17 (p = 0.004) and − 0.16 (p = 0.007) times/week respectively, while leaving full-time education was not associated with any change. Conclusions The transitions of beginning full-time employment and becoming a parent were associated with increases in fast food intake. Public health policy or interventions designed to reduce fast food intake in young adults may benefit from particular focus on populations experiencing these transitions, to ameliorate their impact.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12966-020-01024-4Fast foodYoung adultLife transitionDietEducationEmployment |
| spellingShingle | Eleanor M. Winpenny Megan R. Winkler Jan Stochl Esther M. F. van Sluijs Nicole Larson Dianne Neumark-Sztainer Associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake: a latent trajectory analysis International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Fast food Young adult Life transition Diet Education Employment |
| title | Associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake: a latent trajectory analysis |
| title_full | Associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake: a latent trajectory analysis |
| title_fullStr | Associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake: a latent trajectory analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake: a latent trajectory analysis |
| title_short | Associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake: a latent trajectory analysis |
| title_sort | associations of early adulthood life transitions with changes in fast food intake a latent trajectory analysis |
| topic | Fast food Young adult Life transition Diet Education Employment |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12966-020-01024-4 |
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