title: Associations between eating occasion characteristics and age, gender, presence of children and BMI among U.S. adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe how frequency and characteristics of traditional meal and non-meal occasions vary by age, gender, presence of children, and body mass index (BMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was administered to a national demographically balanced sample of adults via an online market research panel.
  
  
  METHODS
  Online survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Survey respondents were in the 18- to 80-year-old age range and had consumed any food or beverage at home or away from home the previous day. The sample included 2702 adults reporting on 6689 eating/drinking occasions. Most (80.3%) had no children at home; 43.5% were male and about two thirds were overweight/obese.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eating occasion characteristics and goals by age, gender, presence of children, and BMI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Older respondents were more likely to report planning traditional meal occasions and report on a breakfast occasion than younger respondents. Two prominent reasons that triggered consumption occasions were habit and hunger/thirst with one dominant benefit of satisfying hunger or thirst. Habit and nutrition played a larger role as a goal for eating occasions for older compared to younger respondents. When children were present in the household, respondents had a goal of connecting with "family, friends, or colleagues" at dinner compared to those without children. Few gender differences were noted; however, women more often reported goals of satisfying hunger/thirst and taste at lunch than men. BMI levels were related to a range of triggers, goals, and behaviors but not as prominently as the relationships observed with age. Those with BMI ≥ 30 were less health conscious regarding dinner and breakfast consumption compared to those with a lower BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among demographic variables, age differences were noted in relation to eating occasion characteristics more often than other demographic characteristics or BMI. Understanding these differences can be beneficial in tailoring promotion of healthful intake at specific eating occasions for particular subgroups.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Food Science and Nutrition , University of Minnesota , St. Paul , Minnesota.
authors.forename: Marla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reicks
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Degeneffe
authors.forename: Aaron
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rendahl
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Smith Edge
authors.forename: Katie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: O'Meara
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Blevins
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D062408:Breakfast; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D002149:Energy Intake; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D062409:Lunch; D008297:Male; D062407:Meals; D008875:Middle Aged; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity; D050177:Overweight; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: diets; general nutrition; obesity; pediatric and geriatric considerations; preventative nutrition and chronic disease