Table 2.

Mean^a (±se) of number of meals and snacks, and percentage (±se) of adult Americans who reported main meal and snack events in a 24-hour recall, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1971–74 to 2007–2010

	NHANES I 1971–74	NHANES II 1976–1980	NHANES III 1988–1994	C-NHANES 1999–2002	C-NHANES 2003–2006	C-NHANES 2007–2010	Ptrend
Number of main mealb episodes reported in the recall
Men (n=28945)	2.72±0.01	2.69±0.01	2.61±0.03	2.69±0.02	2.65±0.02	2.75±0.02	0.4
Women (n=32621)	2.76±0.01	2.71±0.01	2.67±0.02	2.71±0.02	2.68±0.02	2.76±0.01	0.7
Number of snackc episodes reported in the recall
Men (n=28945)	2.45±0.05	2.29±0.06	2.38±0.05	2.27±0.04	2.24±0.04	2.23±0.03	0.004 ↓
Women (n=32621)	2.09±0.04	2.04±0.04	2.22±0.03	2.25±0.04	2.21±0.03	2.30±0.04	<0.0001 ↑
Reported all main three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) in the recall (%)
Men (n=28945)	73±1.0	71±0.9	52±1.3	53±1.2	55±1.3	59±1.3	<0.0001 ↓
Women (n=32621)	75±0.9	72±0.9	60±0.9	58±1.4	61±1.2	63±1.0	<0.0001 ↓
Reported any two of three different main meals in the recalld (%)
Men (n=28945)	24±0.9	25±0.8	38±1.1	37±1.0	36±1.5	33±1.3	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=32621)	22±0.7	24±0.8	33±0.7	34±1.3	32±1.1	31±0.8	<0.0001 ↑
Reported the same main meal more than oncee in the recall (%)
Men (n=28945)	3.0±.03	3.4 ±0.4	15.9±1.2	22.2±1.6	16.7±1.1	21.4±1.1	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=32621)	3.1±0.4	3.2±0.4	13.3±0.9	17.9±1.3	13.4±1.0	17.8±0.8	<0.0001 ↑
Reported all three main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and at least one snack in the recall (%)
Men (n=28945)	65±1.0	62±0.9	45±1.2	46±1.0	49±1.3	53±1.3	<0.0001 ↓
Women (n=32621)	65±0.9	62±1.0	51±1.0	50±1.3	53±1.4	56±1.1	<0.0001 ↓
Reported any snack (%)
Men (n=28945)	90±0.6	89±0.6	88±0.9	88±0.6	89±0.8	90±0.7	0.5
Women (n=32621)	87±0.7	86±0.5	89±0.7	88±0.7	89±0.7	90±0.4	0.0002 ↑
Reported ≥ 2 snacks (%)
Men (n=28945)	67±1.0	63±0.9	65±1.1	65±1.4	66±1.1	64±0.9	0.7
Women (n=32621)	60±1.1	58±1.1	63±0.9	65±1.1	63±1.2	67±1.01	<0.0001 ↑
Reported >50% of 24-hour energy from snack events (%)
Men (n=28945)	5.9±0.5	7.1±0.5	10.2±0.6	11.4±0.8	10.3±0.7	8.7±0.5	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=32621)	4.8±0.3	5.6±0.4	8.7±0.7	10.1±0.7	9.4 ±0.8	9.4±0.6	<0.0001 ↑
Reported a snack before breakfast (%) (Among breakfast reporters)
Men (n=20166)	12±1.0	13±0.9	18±1.1	17±1.0	16±1.0	12±0.9	0.3
Women (n=23289)	9±0.6	11±0.8	15±0.9	18±1.0	15±0.8	14±0.7	<0.0001 ↑
Reported breakfast (%)
Men (n=28945)	87±0.8	85±0.7	78±0.8	77±1.0	80±0.9	81±0.9	<0.0001 ↓
Women (n=32621)	88±0.8	87±0.9	82±0.8	80±1.1	83±0.9	81±0.9	<0.0001 ↓
Reported a snack between breakfast and lunch (%) (among breakfast and lunch reporters)
Men (n=15429)	51±1.4	47±1.3	41±1.4	41±1.6	40±1.7	36±1.5	<0.0001 ↓
Women (n=18637)	44±1.1	40±1.3	39±1.1	40±1.6	38±1.6	40±1.3	0.05
Reported lunch (%)
Men (n=28945)	88±0.7	85±0.8	74±0.9	74±0.9	76±1.0	78±1.2	<0.0001 ↓
Women (n=32621)	88±0.5	85±0.5	78±0.7	79±1.1	79±1.1	79±0.9	<0.0001 ↓
Reported a snack between lunch and dinner (%) (among lunch and dinner reporters)
Men (n=16928)	61±1.4	57±1.3	62±1.4	65±1.5	64±1.7	62±1.2	0.02
Women (n=20025)	60±0.9	57±1.0	63±1.1	66±1.2	67±1.3	69±1.0	<0.0001 ↑
Reported dinner (%)
Men (n=28945)	94±0.5	95±0.4	90±0.7	90±0.7	91±0.7	92±0.5	<0.0001 ↓
Women (n=32621)	95±0.3	95±0.3	92±0.5	90±0.6	91±0.6	93±0.4	<0.0001 ↓
Reported a snack after dinner (%) (among dinner reporters)
Men (n=22305)	71±1.1	69±1.0	63±1.2	62±1.3	64±1.5	67±1.2	0.0006 ↓
Women (n=25305)	68±0.9	68±0.9	63±0.9	61±1.4	63±1.6	64±1.2	<0.0001 ↓
Reported any other snackf (%)
Men (n=28945)	21±0.9	21±0.9	34±1.3	32±1.1	29±1.2	27±1.0	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=32621)	19±0.9	19±0.9	29±0.9	30±1.0	27±1.2	25±0.9	<0.0001 ↑

^aEstimates are adjusted means or proportions from sex-specific linear or logistic regression models with each eating behavior variable as a dichotomous outcome. Independent variables were: survey cycle (NHANES I, NHANES II, NHANES III, C-NHANES 1999–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010) as a categorical value or as a trend variable, age (continuous), race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Other), family poverty income ratio (<130, 130–349, >349, unknown %), level of education (<12 y, 12 y, some college, ≥ college), season of mobile examination center exam (Nov.–April, May–Oct.), weekday of recalled dietary intake (Monday–Thursday, Friday–Sunday), BMI (continuous), and employment status in the past one or two weeks (yes or no). n refers to number with complete covariate information. P_trend refers to the P value associated with the survey as a trend variable.

^bMain meal episodes comprised eating events named as breakfast, lunch, and dinner or equivalents by respondents. Breakfast eating event was defined as AM meal (NHANES I and II), breakfast, desayuno, almuerzo (NHANES III, 1999–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010); lunch eating event defined as: noon meal (NHANES I and II), lunch, brunch or comida (H3, 1999–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010); dinner defined as: PM meal (NHANES I and II), dinner, supper, or cena (NHANES III, 1999–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010).

^cSnack defined as any eating event identified as snack, drink, between meal, extended consumption, (which was not labeled breakfast, lunch, dinner or equivalent in Spanish by the respondent). Events where only plain or bottled water was reported were not considered an eating episode.

^dDefined as report of any combination of two of the three main meals

^eMentioned more than one breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the recall

^fSnacks not reported before breakfast, or between breakfast and lunch, or between lunch and dinner, or after dinner (e.g., snack(s) reported before lunch by subjects who reported no breakfast, etc).