title: Does involvement in food preparation track from adolescence to young adulthood and is it associated with better dietary quality? Findings from a 10-year longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine whether involvement in food preparation tracks over time, between adolescence (15-18 years), emerging adulthood (19-23 years) and the mid-to-late twenties (24-28 years), as well as 10-year longitudinal associations between home food preparation, dietary quality and meal patterning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based, longitudinal cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were originally sampled from Minnesota public secondary schools (USA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants enrolled in Project EAT (Eating Among Teens and Young Adults)-I, EAT-II and EAT-III (n 1321).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most participants in their mid-to-late twenties reported an enjoyment of cooking (73 % of males, 80 % of females); however, few prepared meals including vegetables most days of the week (24 % of males, 41 % of females). Participants in their mid-to-late twenties who enjoyed cooking were more likely to have engaged in food preparation as adolescents and emerging adults (P < 0·01); those who frequently prepared meals including vegetables were more likely to have engaged in food preparation as emerging adults (P < 0·001), but not as adolescents. Emerging adult food preparation predicted better dietary quality five years later in the mid-to-late twenties, including higher intakes of fruit, vegetables and dark green/orange vegetables, and less sugar-sweetened beverage and fast-food consumption. Associations between adolescent food preparation and later dietary quality yielded few significant results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Food preparation behaviours appeared to track over time and engagement in food preparation during emerging adulthood, but not adolescence, was associated with healthier dietary intake during the mid-to-late twenties. Intervention studies are needed to understand whether promoting healthy food preparation results in improvements in eating patterns during the transition to adulthood.
authors: School of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, 1300 S. 2nd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. mnlaska@umn.edu
authors: Melissa N
authors: MN
authors: Laska
authors: Nicole I
authors: NI
authors: Larson
authors: Dianne
authors: D
authors: Neumark-Sztainer
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Story
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000328:Adult; D001628:Beverages; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003296:Cooking; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004435:Eating; D002149:Energy Intake; D057140:Fast Foods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005638:Fruit; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D008910:Minnesota; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014675:Vegetables; D055815:Young Adult