title: Fast foods perception among adolescents by gender and weight status.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fast food restaurants have become widespread in both developed and developing countries due to nutritional and economic transitions. The frequency of fast food intake is relatively high among adolescents; however, fast food consumption is positively associated with total energy intake and obesity in adolescents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to examine the perception of Jordanian adolescents towards fast foods relative to gender and obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 boys and 395 girls, aged 15-18 years. The adolescents completed a validated questionnaire to measure the perception of adolescents towards fast foods during the year 2013-2014. Weight and height were measured. Numbers who were non-overweight, overweight, and obese were calculated for each age and sex using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) standard.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of participants perceived foods which are eaten as sandwiches as fast foods. A significant difference between boy and girl adolescents was reported regarding perception of French fries ( p < 0.012), fried chicken ( p < 0.001), fattayer ( p < 0.001), foul (boiled broad beans) sandwich ( p < 0.001), falafel sandwich ( p < 0.044) and fried eggs sandwich ( p < 0.001) as fast foods. Girls were significantly more enthusiastic than boys to consider cuscusi plate ( p < 0.001), rice dishes ( p < 0.002), Chinese foods ( p < 0.001), Indian foods ( p < 0.010), Mexican foods ( p < 0.011), and Italian foods ( p < 0.004) as non-fast foods. The difference between obese and non-obese regarding the perception of fast foods was only significant among boy participants. Western or non-Arab foods, food prepared fast and eaten fast in self-service outlets, and food rich in calories were significantly perceived as fast food by Jordanian adolescents ( p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The perception of foods as fast foods or non-fast foods was significantly different between both genders as well as in obese and non-obese male Jordanian adolescents.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: Sabika S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Allehdan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Nutrition and Food Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
authors.forename: Reema F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Tayyem
authors.affiliation: 2 Human Nutrition Department, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Hiba A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Bawadi
authors.affiliation: 3 Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
authors.forename: Narmeen J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Al-Awwad
authors.affiliation: 4 Department of Mathematics, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Mannai
authors.affiliation: 5 Arab Center for Nutrition, Manama, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Abdulrahman O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Musaiger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001364:Awareness; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D057140:Fast Foods; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007597:Jordan; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Fast foods perception; adolescents; body weight status; gender