Do adolescents who live or go to school near fast-food restaurants eat more frequently from fast-food restaurants?
This population-based study examined whether residential or school neighborhood access to fast food restaurants is related to adolescents' eating frequency of fast food. A classroom-based survey of racially/ethnically diverse adolescents (n=2724) in 20 secondary schools in Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota was used to assess eating frequency at five types of fast food restaurants. Black, Hispanic, and Native American adolescents lived near more fast food restaurants than white and Asian adolescents and also ate at fast food restaurants more often. After controlling for individual-level socio-demographics, adolescent males living near high numbers fast food restaurants ate more frequently from these venues compared to their peers.
Department of Urban Planning and Design, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. aforsyth@gsd.harvard.edu.edu
Ann
A
Forsyth
Melanie
M
Wall
Nicole
N
Larson
Mary
M
Story
Dianne
D
Neumark-Sztainer
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000367:Age Factors; D057140:Fast Foods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012147:Restaurants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology