ABSTRACT
Nutrition during adolescence influences long-term health outcomes. Consumption of fish has many health benefits, yet few studies have investigated associations between fish intake and nutrient intake and lifestyle factors in adolescents. A cross-sectional study utilizing 24-hour dietary recalls obtained by in-person interviews investigated relationships between fish intake and demographic characteristics, nutrient intake, and lifestyle factors among adolescents (mean age = 15.5 years). Height, weight, and self-administered survey data were collected from 839 high school students who took part in the 2000-2004 Hawaii Nutrition Education Needs Assessment survey. About 8.5% of the students consumed fish, based on estimated EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) + DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) intakes. Adolescents who consumed fish had higher intake of protein, water, B vitamins, magnesium, selenium, and zinc but consumed more calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium. Considering the school health program's potential to reach adolescents, more intensive school-based interventions can be directed to promote safe fish consumption and to encourage other positive lifestyle behaviors.
Subject(s)
Diet , Feeding Behavior , Fishes , Life Style , Adolescent , Animals , Body Weight , Cross-Sectional Studies , Energy Intake , Female , Hawaii , Humans , Male , Mental Recall , Nutritional StatusABSTRACT
The omega-3 fatty acids found mostly in seafood are essential nutrients that may help prevent or control a number of diseases; however, the evidence for this is not conclusive. The positive effects may be because of other dietary and lifestyle factors. Therefore, we investigated the association between fish intake and other nutrition indicators and lifestyle and demographic factors among children. The study employed grade-4 student data of the 2000-2004 Hawaii Nutrition Education Needs Assessment Survey. In a sample 666 children (mean age = 9.57 ± 0.06 years, 55.6% female, 62.4% Asian/Pacific Islander), analysis indicated that fish consumption is positively associated with healthy lifestyle indicators, such as physical activity and a healthy body mass index. Fish consumption is also positively associated with protein and kilocalories intake but not with fruits and vegetables consumption. Findings suggest that the positive health behaviors linked to fish consumption may lie more in physical activity than in diet behaviors. Given that fish consumption is important for children, interventions promoting fish consumption in a balanced diet with fruit and vegetable, as well as other positive lifestyle behaviors are warranted.
