Resemblance in dietary intakes between urban low-income African-American adolescents and their mothers: the healthy eating and active lifestyles from school to home for kids study

J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jan;109(1):52-63. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.009.

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the association and predictors of dietary intake resemblance between urban low-income African-American adolescents and their mothers.

Methods: Detailed dietary data collected from 121 child-parent pairs in Chicago during fall 2003 were used. The association was assessed using correlation coefficients, kappa, and percentage of agreement, as well as logistic regression models.

Results: Overall, the association was weak as indicated by correlations and other measures. None of the mother-son correlations for nutrients and food groups were greater than 0.20. Mother-daughter pairs had stronger correlations (0.26 for energy and 0.30 for fat). The association was stronger in normal-weight mothers than in mothers with overweight or obesity. Logistic models showed that mother being a current smoker, giving child more pocket money, and allowing child to eat or purchase snacks without parental permission or presence predicted a higher probability of resemblance in undesirable eating patterns, such as high-energy, high-fat, and high-snack intakes (P<0.05).

Conclusions: Mother-child diet association was generally weak, and varied considerably across groups and intake variables in this homogenous population. Some maternal characteristics seem to affect the association.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Adult
  • Anthropometry
  • Black or African American / psychology
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data*
  • Body Mass Index*
  • Chicago
  • Child
  • Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
  • Diet*
  • Energy Intake / physiology
  • Feeding Behavior / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Life Style*
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Mother-Child Relations*
  • Obesity / epidemiology
  • Obesity / prevention & control
  • Poverty*
  • Sex Distribution
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Urban Population / statistics & numerical data