Dietary habits of Welsh 12–13 year olds

Non-Eleri Thomas, Stephen-Mark Cooper, Mike Graham, Wyndham Boobier, Julien Baker, Bruce Davies

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study examined the dietary habits of Welsh 12–13 year olds. A cohort of 84 boys and 81 girls, age 12.9 SD 0.3 years; body mass 51.3 SD 12.6kg; and stature 1.54 SD 0.08m, completed a food frequency questionnaire and seven-day food diary. Mean
daily kilocalories (kcal/d), and percentages of total fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, and protein, as well as fibre intake were calculated. The mean daily intake of total fat for this cohort was 34.7 percent, for saturated fat the value was 13.8 percent. The mean
daily intake of carbohydrate and protein were 50.5 and 14.9 percent, respectively. The schoolchildren in this study reported a mean daily fibre intake of 12.3g. The absolute intake of kilocalories was significantly greater (p ≤ 0.05) among boys than girls, but no other significant differences were reported. This study revealed that the diets of Welsh
12–13 year olds exceeded recommendations for fat, while at the same time did not meet the recommendations for fibre, and particularly fruit and vegetable intake. Our data indicated that, despite schools offering a range of healthy lunchtime foods, young people continue to consume an energy-dense and nutrient-poor diet, both at school and at home.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)247-257
Number of pages11
JournalEuropean Physical Education Review
Volume13
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • diet
  • fast foods
  • seven-day food diary
  • young people

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