[Nutritional habits of adolescents in the Paris suburbs].
BACKGROUND
Physical and psychological disorders in adolescence may lead to specific food behaviours. The aim of this work was to make a group of adolescents full actors of the conception and realization of a study on their food consumption and attitudes.


METHODS
Seventeen self-selected adolescents (age: 12 to 18 years) were enrolled in the study. They interviewed 186 peers (24% of the adolescents of the district) during March 1994.


RESULTS
5.9% of adolescents never had breakfast; only 57.7% had the three main meals every day during the last week, but 14% had these three main meals and three snacks the preceding day. During a week, 22% (12-14 years old) and 32% (15-18 years old) had had at least one lunch outside their home or school canteen. Fast-food attraction was very strong, mainly among the youngest, the boys and the foreign students. However, family meals were appreciated by 87% of them.


CONCLUSIONS
Even though absence of representation of the sample gave doubts on the most marginal forms of food behavior, the interest manifested by adolescents for this research program and the results favor a food educational program that should be planned with them.
Chauliac
M
M
Centre international de l'enfance, château de Longchamp, Paris, France.
de Beco
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000367:Age Factors; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D010297:Paris; D012737:Sex Factors
Les styles alimentaires d'adolescents en banlieue parisienne.