title: Urban-rural differences in adolescent eating behaviour: a multilevel cross-sectional study of 15-year-olds in Scotland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Improving the diet of the Scottish population has been a government focus in recent years. Population health is known to vary between geographies; therefore alongside trends and socio-economic inequalities in eating behaviour, geographic differences should also be monitored.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eating behaviour data from the 2010 Scotland Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey were modelled using multilevel linear and logistic modelling.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected in schools across urban and rural Scotland.
  
  
  METHODS
  Schoolchildren aged 15 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adolescents living in remote rural Scotland had the highest consumption frequency of vegetables (on average consumed on 6·68 d/week) and the lowest consumption frequency of sweets and crisps (on 4·27 and 3·02 d/week, respectively). However, it was not in the major four cities of Scotland (Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and Aberdeen) but in the geography described by the classification 'other urban' areas (large towns of between 10 000 and 125 000 residents) that adolescents had the poorest diet. Deprivation and rurality were independently associated with food consumption for all but fruit consumption. Sharing a family meal, dieting behaviour, food poverty and breakfast consumption did not differ by rurality. Variance at the school level was significant for fruit and vegetable consumption frequencies and for irregular breakfast consumption, regardless of rurality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Young people from rural areas have a healthier diet than those living in urban areas. The eating behaviours examined did not explain these differences. Future research should investigate why urban-rural differences exist for consumption frequencies of 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' foods.
authors: 1Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit,University of St Andrews,Medical and Biological Sciences Building,North Haugh,St Andrews KY16 9TF,UK.
authors: Kate A
authors: KA
authors: Levin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D004435:Eating; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012424:Rural Population; D012606:Scotland; D014505:Urban Population
references: Am J Emerg Med. 2001 Jan;19(1):52-6
references: 11146020
references: Br J Nutr. 2005 Sep;94(3):423-31
references: 16176614
references: Soc Sci Med. 2006 Mar;62(6):1457-64
references: 16182421
references: Int J Obes (Lond). 2008 Nov;32 Suppl 5:S26-34
references: 19011650
references: Int J Public Health. 2008;53(6):297-305
references: 19112592
references: Int J Epidemiol. 2010 Feb;39(1):277-84
references: 19491142
references: Health Educ Behav. 2004 Aug;31(4):455-71
references: 15296629
references: Br J Nutr. 2009 Jul;101 Suppl 2:S95-101
references: 19594969
references: Soc Sci Med. 2010 Dec;71(11):2020-7
references: 20965633
references: Soc Sci Med. 2008 Mar;66(6):1429-36
references: 18179852
references: BMC Public Health. 2007 Jul 24;7:172
references: 17650304
references: Am J Public Health. 2006 Jan;96(1):145-51
references: 16317212
references: Aust J Rural Health. 2009 Feb;17(1):16-20
references: 19161495
references: Br J Cancer. 2001 Apr 6;84(7):910-4
references: 11286470
references: Public Health Nutr. 2007 Apr;10(4):364-70
references: 17362532
references: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2006 May;60(5):389-95
references: 16614327
references: Public Health Nutr. 2010 Oct;13(10A):1729-35
references: 20883573
references: Public Health Nutr. 2003 Sep;6(6):581-8
references: 14690039
references: Health Educ Res. 2009 Feb;24(1):87-97
references: 18245045
references: Health Place. 2007 Jun;13(2):562-8
references: 16839799
references: Eur J Public Health. 2009 Dec;19(6):605-10
references: 19383842
references: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2001 Jan;55(1):44-51
references: 11112950
references: J Epidemiol Community Health. 2004 Apr;58(4):296-302
references: 15026442
references: Soc Sci Med. 2005 Jun;60(12):2877-90
references: 15820593
references: J Public Health (Oxf). 2012 Dec;34(4):523-31
references: 22431257
references: J Health Econ. 1991 May;10(1):21-41
references: 10113661
references: J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2012 Jul;55(1):4-13
references: 22437477
references: J Hum Nutr Diet. 2010 Oct;23(5):494-501
references: 20831708