Details

Purpose: This symposium explores the contribution of the social and physical environments to diet quality, and the changing influence of these determinants, across adolescence and early adulthood.

Rationale: Adolescence is period of increasing independence, when individuals move away from parental influences and begin to develop independent health habits. Diet quality and eating behaviours are known to be influenced by both social and physical environments, but there is little research on how the impact of these exposures changes as adolescents mature into early adulthood. In this symposium we bring together evidence from across different stages of adolescence and early adulthood, to develop our understanding on the changing influence of these determinants across this age range.

Objectives:

(1) Present evidence from a systematic review of interpersonal determinants of diet quality across adolescence and early adulthood

(2) Present new findings from quantitative analyses of the influence of the psychosocial, neighbourhood, home food environments and wider determinants on diet at different stages of adolescence and early adulthood

(3) Explore how psychosocial, neighbourhood and home food determinants of diet may mediate the association of socioeconomic status with diet quality.

(4) Stimulate discussion around the changing role of the family, peers, home and neighbourhood through adolescence and early adulthood.

Summary: The session will comprise three speakers from the UK, Norway and Australia, presenting recent findings on the role of different aspects of psychosocial, home and neighbourhood environment on diet quality through adolescence and early adulthood (15 minutes each presentation). Presentation of findings from systematic literature review and quantitative research on determinants of diet from different stages of adolescence and country contexts will stimulate discussion on the influence of different determinants at different ages and in different contexts.

Format: The session will be introduced by Dr Eleanor Winpenny (University of Cambridge, UK; 5 minutes), followed by three presentations (Ms Tanya Braune (University of Cambridge), Mr Teferi Mekonnen (University of Oslo), Dr Katherine Livingstone (Deakin University)), allowing 25 minutes for discussion and questions, led by Prof Leslie Lytle (University of North Carolina).

Interaction: The discussant, Prof Leslie Lytle, will invite questions and comments from the audience and facilitate discussion between presenters and audience on the findings and implications for policy/intervention and future research.

Speaker