title: Food habits and sport activity during adolescence: differences between athletic and non-athletic teenagers in Switzerland.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Nestlé Research Center, Nestlé Ltd, Lausanne, Switzerland. claude.cavadini@rdls.nestle.com
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cavadini
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Decarli
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grin
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Narring
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Michaud
mesh_terms: 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