title: Three squares or mostly snacks--what do teens really eat? A sociodemographic study of meal patterns.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To categorize U.S. adolescents' meal patterns and related differences in dietary quality.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the Continuing Survey of Food Intake by Individuals, 1989-1991, meal patterns from 3 days of adolescents' (ages 11-18 years) intake (n = 1310) were examined. Consistency of meal pattern intake and associated nutrient quality was determined. Logistic regression was used to examine the effects of several sociodemographic characteristics on meal pattern consistency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher percentage of adolescents consumed a meal pattern that included 3 meals/day than any other meal pattern: 57.4-58.7% on any given day. Forty-one percent of adolescents fell into the consistent (at least two meals on all 3 days), and only 3.5% fell into the inconsistent meal (one meal, with or without snacks, or snacks only, on all 3 days) pattern category. Logistic regression results indicated that being black [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 4.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) (1.90, 9.27)], older (15-18) [AOR = 1.41, 95% CI (1.19, 1.67)], and from a single-parent household [AOR = 2.60, 95% CI (1.23, 5.52)] were predictive of an inconsistent meal pattern. School lunch has a positive impact on intake, increasing a consistent meal pattern from 36.0% to 44.9%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adolescents who consume at least two meals (with or without snacks) on a consistent basis have an adequate intake of calories and a more nutrient-dense diet with respect to calcium, iron, vitamin E, and fiber than those with other meal patterns. From the perspective of following a diet to prevent chronic diseases in adulthood, adolescents regardless of meal pattern, consume a diet that is too high in fat, sodium, and protein, and too low in fiber.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 27516-3997, USA.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Siega-Riz
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Carson
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Popkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004034:Diet Surveys; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000145:classification; D005260:Female; D005522:Food Services; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D014481:United States