Adolescents’ diets do not comply with 2007 Canada’s food guide recommendations

This study evaluated the eating behaviours of students in grade six and, three years later when they were in grade nine, relative to the recommendations of Canada’s 2007 Food Guide. Students completed a self-administered questionnaire on eating behaviours in 2002 (n = 647) and again in 2005 (n = 520) as part of Better Beginnings, Better Futures, a primary prevention initiative among economically disadvantaged communities. McNemar analysis and X2 analysis were used to assess differences in compliance with the recommendations of the Food Guide. Differences in the mean number of servings of the four food groups and the Other Foods group were examined using independent sample t-tests and paired t tests. In grade six, 5% of males and 7% of females met the minimum number of recommended servings for all four food groups. By grade nine this had dropped to 0.4% and 2% respectively. Among males who completed the questionnaire in both grade six and grade nine there was a decline in the mean number of daily servings for all four food groups. For females a similar trend was observed. The likelihood of adolescents meeting all Food Guide recommendations decreased from grade six to grade nine.

► Most students’ eating behaviours were below recommended levels for every food group.
► Compliance with 2007 food guide recommendations worsened with age.
► Adolescents from low-income households need to be a priority for strategies.