Table 3.
Associations between eating alone and food-related outcomes, presented with n (%) or, when applicable, mean [sd], odds ratios or coefficient, 95% confidence intervals and p-values
| All n (%) / mean [sd] |
Eating together | Eating alone | OR (95%CI) | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food-related outcomes | |||||
| Food index* | 688 (100) | 501 (100) | 187 (100) | 1.03 (0.72–1.47) | 0.870 |
| 0–4 | 68 (10) | 48 (10) | 20 (11) | ||
| 5–8 | 419 (61) | 315 (63) | 104 (55) | ||
| 9–12 | 201 (29) | 138 (27) | 63 (34) | ||
| Food groups* | |||||
| Fruits and berries | 693 | 503 | 190 | 0.92 (0.67–1.27) | 0.608 |
| Two or more times per day | 201 (29) | 142 (28) | 59 (31) | ||
| Once per day | 305 (44) | 227 (45) | 78 (41) | ||
| A few times per week | 133 (19) | 99 (20) | 34 (18) | ||
| Once per week or less often | 54 (8) | 35 (7) | 19 (10) | ||
| Vegetables | 694 | 503 | 191 | 0.68 (0.48–0.95) | 0.023 |
| Two or more times per day | 143 (21) | 103 (20) | 40 (21) | ||
| Once per day | 377 (54) | 288 (57) | 89 (46) | ||
| A few times per week | 151 (22) | 98 (19) | 53 (28) | ||
| Once per week or less often | 23 (3) | 14 (3) | 9 (5) | ||
| Fish and shellfish | 693 | 502 | 191 | 0.79 (0.57–1.10) | 0.160 |
| Three or more times per week | 91 (13) | 64 (13) | 27 (14) | ||
| Twice per week | 245 (35) | 183 (36) | 62 (33) | ||
| Once per week | 281(41) | 210 (42) | 71 (37) | ||
| A few times per month or less often | 76 (11) | 45 (9) | 31 (16) | ||
| Snacks, sugary foods, and sweet drinks | 691 | 502 | 189 | 0.59 (0.43–0.81) | 0.001 |
| Two or more times per day | 43 (6) | 31 (6) | 12 (6) | ||
| Once per day | 200 (29) | 166 (33) | 34 (18) | ||
| A few times per week | 229 (33) | 164 (33) | 65 (34) | ||
| Once per week or less often | 219 (32) | 141 (28) | 78 (41) | ||
| Ready-made meals* | 652 | 467 | 185 | 3.71 (2.02–6.84) | < 0.001 |
| Often | 7 (1) | 1 (0) | 6 (3) | ||
| Sometimes | 44 (7) | 24 (5) | 20 (11) | ||
| Rarely/Never | 601 (92) | 442 (95) | 159 (86) | ||
| Main meals per day** | 655 (100) | 477 (100) | 178 (100) | 0.53 (0.37–0.76) | 0.006 |
| Two or fewer | 297 (45) | 197 (41) | 100 (56) | ||
| Three | 358 (55) | 280 (59) | 78 (44) | ||
| Coefficient | |||||
| BMI*** | 25.98 [4.27] | 25.88 [4.08] | 26.23 [4.72] | 0.55 (-0.19-1.29) | 0.14 |
* Multiple ordinal regression model with food index, food groups, or ready-made meals as dependent variables; eating alone or together (objective), experience of eating alone (subjective), sex, and education as independent variables
** Multiple logistic regression model with main meals per day as dependent variable; eating alone or together (objective), experience of eating alone (subjective), sex, and education as independent variables
***Multiple linear regression model with BMI as dependent variable; eating alone or together (objective), experience of eating alone (subjective), sex, and education as independent variables