Article Sidebar
Keywords:
fast-food nutrition transition
Article Details
Issue
Section
Articles
Material submitted for publication in the South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition (SAJCN) is accepted provided it has not been published elsewhere. Copyright forms will be sent with acknowledgement of receipt and the SAJCN reserves copyright of the material published.
The SAJCN does not hold itself responsible for statements made by the authors.
Main Article Content
Fast-food consumption among 17-year-olds in the Birth to Twenty cohort
Abstract
Objectives: Assessment of fast-food consumption in urban black adolescents.
Design: The current research was a descriptive cross-sectional study.
Setting: Subjects attending the Birth to Twenty (Bt20) research facility at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg between September 2007 and May 2008 were enrolled.
Subjects: 655 black subjects (51.1% females) were consecutively selected to participate from the larger cohort of Bt20.
Outcome measures: Fast-food item consumption and frequency of fast-food outlet visits were assessed by interviewer-administered questionnaire.
Results: Over a 7-day assessment period, participants consumed 5 026 fast-food items, with the most popular food item being an item known colloquially as a ‘quarter’. There were no gender differences in terms of preferences. Mean fast-food intake was 8.1 (4.6) items and 7.2 (4.7) items per week for males and females respectively (ρ = 0.01). A typical ‘quarter’ consists of a quarter-loaf of white bread, chips, a slice of cheese and any number of delicatessen meats and sauces. A macronutrient comparison between a ‘quarter’ and three commercially available fast-food meals was undertaken, with the ‘quarter’ providing the most energy (5 970 kJ) and being the least expensive (mean cost = R9.16).
Conclusion: The average estimated daily energy requirement for a 17-year-old is approximately 10 000 kJ, thus the ‘quarter’ may make a significant contribution to daily energy intake. Further research assessing the role of fast-foods in the provision of total energy and nutrient intakes in adolescents is required
Design: The current research was a descriptive cross-sectional study.
Setting: Subjects attending the Birth to Twenty (Bt20) research facility at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, Johannesburg between September 2007 and May 2008 were enrolled.
Subjects: 655 black subjects (51.1% females) were consecutively selected to participate from the larger cohort of Bt20.
Outcome measures: Fast-food item consumption and frequency of fast-food outlet visits were assessed by interviewer-administered questionnaire.
Results: Over a 7-day assessment period, participants consumed 5 026 fast-food items, with the most popular food item being an item known colloquially as a ‘quarter’. There were no gender differences in terms of preferences. Mean fast-food intake was 8.1 (4.6) items and 7.2 (4.7) items per week for males and females respectively (ρ = 0.01). A typical ‘quarter’ consists of a quarter-loaf of white bread, chips, a slice of cheese and any number of delicatessen meats and sauces. A macronutrient comparison between a ‘quarter’ and three commercially available fast-food meals was undertaken, with the ‘quarter’ providing the most energy (5 970 kJ) and being the least expensive (mean cost = R9.16).
Conclusion: The average estimated daily energy requirement for a 17-year-old is approximately 10 000 kJ, thus the ‘quarter’ may make a significant contribution to daily energy intake. Further research assessing the role of fast-foods in the provision of total energy and nutrient intakes in adolescents is required
