Food habits and sport activity during adolescence: differences between athletic and non-athletic teenagers in Switzerland.
OBJECTIVE
To describe food habits and dietary intakes of athletic and non-athletic adolescents in Switzerland.


METHODS
College, high schools and professional centers in the Swiss canton of Vaud.


METHODS
A total of 3,540 subjects aged 9-19 y answered a self-reported anonymous questionnaire to assess lifestyles, physical plus sports activity and food habits. Within this sample, a subgroup of 246 subjects aged 11-15 also participated in an in-depth ancillary study including a 3 day dietary record completed by an interview with a dietician.


RESULTS
More boys than girls reported engaging in regular sports activities (P<0.001). Adolescent food habits are quite traditional: up to 15 y, most of the respondents have a breakfast and eat at least two hot meals a day, the percentages decreasing thereafter. Snacking is widespread among adolescents (60-80% in the morning, 80-90% in the afternoon). Food habits among athletic adolescents are healthier and also are perceived as such in a higher proportion. Among athletic adolescents, consumption frequency is higher for dairy products and ready to eat (RTE) cereals, for fruit, fruit juices and salad (P<0.05 at least). Thus the athletic adolescent's food brings more micronutrients than the diet of their non-athletic counterparts. Within the subgroup (ancillary study), mean energy intake corresponds to requirements for age/gender group.


CONCLUSIONS
Athletic adolescents display healthier food habits than non-athletic adolescents: this result supports the idea that healthy behavior tends to cluster and suggests that prevention programs among this age group should target simultaneously both sports activity and food habits.
Cavadini
C
C
Nestlé Research Center, Nestlé Ltd, Lausanne, Switzerland. claude.cavadini@rdls.nestle.com
Decarli
B
B
Grin
J
J
Narring
F
F
Michaud
P A
PA
D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D013177:Sports; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland