Food habits and sport activity during adolescence: differences between athletic and non-athletic teenagers in Switzerland

Abstract

Objective: To describe food habits and dietary intakes of athletic and non-athletic adolescents in Switzerland.

Setting: College, high schools and professional centers in the Swiss canton of Vaud.

Method: A total of 3540 subjects aged 9–19 y answered a self-reported anonymous questionnaire to assess lifestyles, physical plus sports activity and food habits. Within this sample, a subgroup of 246 subjects aged 11–15 also participated in an in-depth ancillary study including a 3 day dietary record completed by an interview with a dietician.

Results: More boys than girls reported engaging in regular sports activities (P<0.001). Adolescent food habits are quite traditional: up to 15 y, most of the respondents have a breakfast and eat at least two hot meals a day, the percentages decreasing thereafter. Snacking is widespread among adolescents (60–80% in the morning, 80–90% in the afternoon). Food habits among athletic adolescents are healthier and also are perceived as such in a higher proportion. Among athletic adolescents, consumption frequency is higher for dairy products and ready to eat (RTE) cereals, for fruit, fruit juices and salad (P<0.05 at least). Thus the athletic adolescent’s food brings more micronutrients than the diet of their non-athletic counterparts. Within the subgroup (ancillary study), mean energy intake corresponds to requirements for age/gender group.

Conclusions: Athletic adolescents display healthier food habits than non-athletic adolescents: this result supports the idea that healthy behavior tends to cluster and suggests that prevention programs among this age group should target simultaneously both sports activity and food habits.

Sponsorship: Service of Sports and Physical Education of the Swiss canton of Vaud, Federal Sports School of Macolin (Switzerland).

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2000) 54, Suppl 1, S16–S20