CHILDHOOD TO EARLY ADOLESCENCE: HOW ARE FOOD CHOICE PROCESSES DEVELOPING AND INFLUENCED DURING THIS TRANSITION PERIOD?

Abstract

Early adolescence is a fascinating and complex life stage that signifies the transition from childhood to adolescence and includes the commencement of many important biological, cognitive, and social transitions. Observations of dietary patterns during this life stage indicate that early adolescents have poor overall diet quality, resulting in serious implications for development and long-term health. The purpose of this project was to explore and describe how early adolescents are navigating, constructing, and being influenced during food and nutrition activities. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were used to examine early adolescent food choice in three studies. The first study used in-depth qualitative interviews (n= 30) to explore the emergence of direct, proxy, and personal agency within the context of early adolescent food choice and food activities. The second study was a quantitative analysis of a national representative sample (n= 853) to examine association between family demographics, food choice values, and dietary outcomes. The final study combined photo-elicitation and in-depth interviews (n= 30) to explore early adolescent food routines. Results showed the importance of parental influences, food environments and social structures, and provided new information about how early adolescents are developing food-related agency and control in food activities and food choice processes during their transition from childhood to adolescence.