Eating and activity: the importance of family and environment.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this paper was to examine the eating behaviours, physical exercise and television viewing of secondary school students, and to investigate their relationship with parental monitoring and family cohesion.


METHODS
The study was conducted at a secondary school in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2005. Questionnaires were administered to 433 students aged 13-16 years, spanning Years 9, 10 and 11. Descriptive statistics, ANOVA and correlational analyses were used.


RESULTS
Overall, boys and younger students reported eating more 'unhealthy' foods. Frequency of buying own food (which 59.5% did at least twice a week) was strongly correlated with eating 'unhealthy food' (r=0.50). Parental monitoring (PM) and family cohesion (FC) were significantly positively related to participants' reports of eating breakfast and eating healthy foods, and significantly negatively related to reports of buying own food and eating unhealthy foods. Most (65.5%) reported exercising at least three times a week, boys more than girls. Exercise rates were moderately correlated with eating healthy food and weakly related to PM and FC. Television viewing was related to eating unhealthy food.


CONCLUSIONS
Adolescents who buy their own food make many 'unhealthy' food choices. Healthy eating and, to a lesser extent, exercise and reduced television viewing are related to increased levels of parental monitoring and family cohesion.
University of Auckland, Private Bag, Aucland, New Zealand.
Julie
J
Moore
Niki
N
Harré
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*