Table 2.
Adolescents’ perceptions of the home food environment (% Alwaysa, n = 1026)
| Boys % (n) |
Girls % (n) |
Total % (n) |
χ2 | df | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family food rules | ||||||
| I’m allowed to buy whatever I want from fast food joints | 31.7 (113) | 23.7 (159) | 26.5 (272) | 7.656 | 1 | < 0.01 |
| I can eat whatever I like at home | 62.6 (223) | 56.7 (380) | 58.8 (603) | 3.367 | 1 | 0.06 |
| During meal times, I’m allowed to put the TV on | 67.7 (241) | 63.0 (422) | 64.6 (663) | 2.257 | 1 | 0.13 |
| I’m expected to eat all the foods served even if I don’t like them | 59.3 (211) | 48.7 (326) | 52.3 (537) | 10.497 | 1 | < 0.01 |
| At mealtimes I have to follow certain rules | 57.9 (206) | 55.2 (370) | 56.1 (576) | 0.659 | 1 | 0.42 |
| Accessibility to food at home | ||||||
| Vegetables are served at dinner | 82.0 (292) | 73.9 (495) | 76.7 (787) | 8.625 | 1 | < 0.01 |
| There is plenty of food at home | 86.2 (307) | 81.8 (548) | 83.3 (855) | 3.307 | 1 | 0.06 |
| Availability of food at home | ||||||
| Potato chips or other salty snack foods | 39.0 (139) | 37.5 (251) | 38.0 (390) | 0.247 | 1 | 0.61 |
| Soft drink (e.g. Coke) | 43.0 (153) | 32.5 (218) | 36.2 (371) | 10.977 | 1 | < 0.01 |
| Chocolate or other lollies (sweets) | 47.2 (168) | 46.6 (312) | 46.8 (480) | 0.036 | 1 | 0.84 |
| Cakes/pastries/donuts/biscuits | 43.8 (156) | 50.6 (339) | 48.2 (495) | 4.276 | 1 | 0.03 |
| Fruits | 93.3 (332) | 90.7 (608) | 91.6 (940) | 1.910 | 1 | 0.16 |
| Vegetables | 94.7 (337) | 96.3 (645) | 95.7 (982) | 1.460 | 1 | 0.22 |
| Fruit juice | 60.1 (214) | 53.0 (355) | 55.5 (569) | 4.781 | 1 | 0.02 |
| Domestic cooking responsibility | ||||||
| The domestic help makes all the food at home | 21.9 (78) | 16.6 (111) | 18.4 (189) | 4.416 | 1 | 0.04 |
| My mother makes all the food at home | 80.1 (285) | 80.6 (540) | 80.4 (825) | 0.043 | 1 | 0.83 |
| My father makes all the food at home | 6.5 (23) | 4.3 (29) | 5.1 (52) | 2.197 | 1 | 0.14 |
aAlways = usually (3) + always (4) = 4