An assessment of basic nutrition knowledge of adolescents with eating disorders and their parents
-
Marigold Castillo
,
Ronald Feinstein
Abstract
Objective: This study aims to determine and compare the level of basic nutrition knowledge of adolescents with eating disorders and their parents to adolescents without eating disorders and their parents.
Materials and methods: This six-month convenience based survey recruited a total of 182 adolescents with and without an eating disorder and their parents. The surveys were conducted in a suburban adolescent medicine office. Main outcome measures were based on the 18 basic nutrition questions, while means, standard deviations, Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test, and χ2 were all employed for the analysis.
Results: None of the groups correctly answered more than half of the questions. In terms of the percentage of correct responses, there was a statistically significant difference between adolescents with eating disorders and their parents compared with adolescents without an eating disorder and their parents. Fewer than 16% of respondents in each group correctly answered the recommended daily caloric balance of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.
Conclusions: There is a deficiency in basic nutrition knowledge among adolescents with and without eating disorders and their parents. A significant increase in basic nutrition education needs to occur in order to increase the understanding of what is a “healthy” diet.
Appendix
| 1. | What is the daily recommended amount of calories for a moderately active adolescent female (14–18 years of age)? |
| a. 1000–1200 calories | |
| b. 1400–1600 calories | |
| c. 2000–2200 calories | |
| d. 2400–2800 calories | |
| 2. | What is the daily recommended amount of calories for a moderately active adolescent male (14–18 years of age)? |
| a. 1000–1200 calories | |
| b. 1400–1600 calories | |
| c. 2000–2200 calories | |
| d. 2400–2800 calories | |
| 3. | What percentage of an adolescent’s total daily calories should come from carbohydrates? |
| a. 20%–29% | |
| b. 30%–39% | |
| c. 40%–49% | |
| d. 50%–59% | |
| 4. | What percentage of an adolescent’s total daily calories should come from proteins? |
| a. 10%–20% | |
| b. 21%–30% | |
| c. 31%–40% | |
| d. 41%–50% | |
| 5. | What percentage of an adolescent’s total daily calories should come from fats? |
| a. 5%–15% | |
| b. 16%–24% | |
| c. 25%–35% | |
| d. 36%–45% | |
| 6. | Approximately how many calories will a person “burn” while running one mile? |
| a. 10 calories | |
| b. 100 calories | |
| c. 1000 calories | |
| d. 10,000 calories | |
| 7. | Approximately how many calories will a person “burn” while walking two miles? |
| a. 50 calories | |
| b. 100 calories | |
| c. 200 calories | |
| d. 300 calories | |
| 8. | To lose the equivalent of one pound, approximately how many calories does an individual have to “burn”? |
| a. 35 calories | |
| b. 350 calories | |
| c. 3500 calories | |
| d. 35,000 calories | |
| 9. | Approximately, how many calories are in a medium-sized banana? |
| a. 10 calories | |
| b. 100 calories | |
| c. 200 calories | |
| d. 300 calories | |
| 10. | Approximately, how many calories are in a three ounce piece of plain grilled chicken? |
| a. 100 calories | |
| b. 175 calories | |
| c. 250 calories | |
| d. 350 calories | |
| 11. | Approximately, how many calories are in a regular 12-ounce can of soda? |
| a. 70 calories | |
| b. 140 calories | |
| c. 280 calories | |
| d. 560 calories | |
| 12. | What mineral is important for growing bones? |
| a. sodium | |
| b. potassium | |
| c. fluoride | |
| d. calcium | |
| 13. | A lacto-vegetarian diet excludes all of the following except |
| a. eggs | |
| b. fish | |
| c. fowl | |
| d. cheese | |
| 14. | The amount of sodium in an 8-ounce can of the most popular sports drink is |
| a. 110 mg | |
| b. 150 mg | |
| c. 180 mg | |
| d. 200 mg | |
| 15. | Three ounces of meat are about the size of |
| a. a deck of cards | |
| b. a large bottle of soda | |
| c. a library book | |
| d. a key | |
| 16. | One cup of raw vegetables is about the size of |
| a. a Frisbee | |
| b. a regular light bulb | |
| c. a large bottle of soda | |
| d. a library book | |
| 17. | How many calories are in the following: a 4 ounce cheeseburger on a bun with a slice of cheese? |
| a. 200–300 | |
| b. 500–600 | |
| c. 700–800 | |
| d. 1000–1100 | |
| 18. | How many calories are in the following: a 4 ounce turkey sandwich on a roll with a banana and 1 ounce of pretzels? |
| a. 200–300 | |
| b. 500–600 | |
| c. 700–800 | |
| d. 1000–1100 |
References
1. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Adolescence. Clinical Report-Identification and management of eating disorders in children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2010;126:1240–53.Search in Google Scholar
2. Fisher M. Treatment of eating disorders in children, adolescents, and young adults. Pediatr Rev 2006;27:5–15.Search in Google Scholar
3. U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010.Search in Google Scholar
4. Bright futures: nutrition, 3rd ed. American Academy of Pediatrics, 2011.Search in Google Scholar
5. What every parent needs to know. Nutrition, 2nd ed. American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012.Search in Google Scholar
6. United States Department of Agriculture. Available at: www.choosemyplate.gov.Search in Google Scholar
7. Policy of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Pediatric nutrition handbook, 6th ed. American Academy of Pediatrics, 2009.Search in Google Scholar
8. American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: nutrition intervention in the treatment of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and other eating disorders. J Am Diet Assoc 2006;106:2073–82.Search in Google Scholar
9. Rock CL, Curran-Celentano J. Nutritional management of eating disorders. Psychiatr Clin North Am 1996;19:701–13.Search in Google Scholar
10. Patton GC, Carlin JB, Shao Q, Hibbert ME, Rosier M, et al. Adolescent dieting: healthy weight control or borderline eating disorder? J Child Psychol Psychiatr 1997;38:299–306.Search in Google Scholar
11. Neumark-Sztainer D. Obesity and eating disorder prevention: an integrated approach? Adolesc Med: State of the Art Reviews 2003;14:159–73.Search in Google Scholar
©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- 10.1515/ijamh-2015-frontmatter1
- Editorial
- Pregnant, even when you did not want to be pregnant
- Original articles
- How adolescents learn about risk perception and behavior in regards to alcohol use in light of social learning theory: a qualitative study in Bogotá, Colombia
- An assessment of basic nutrition knowledge of adolescents with eating disorders and their parents
- More than a break: the impact of a social-pedagogical intervention during young persons’ long-term hospital admission – a qualitative study
- Effect of external classroom noise on schoolchildren’s reading and mathematics performance: correlation of noise levels and gender
- Physical self-esteem – a ten-year follow-up study from early adolescence to early adulthood
- Street hawking among in-school adolescents in a south-western town in Nigeria: pattern, determinants and effects on school performance
- Outcome of adolescents with eating disorders from an adolescent medicine service at a large children’s hospital
- Female adolescents’ perspective about reproductive health education needs: a mixed methods study with explanatory sequential design
- Study of menstrual patterns in adolescent girls with disabilities in a residential institution
- Characteristics of hand sanitizer ingestions by adolescents reported to poison centers
- Health care providers and adolescents’ perspectives towards adolescents’ health education needs: a need assessment based on comparative approach
- Determinants of abortion decisions among Ghanaian university students
- Predictors of peer victimization among Peruvian adolescents in the young lives cohort
- Risk of eating disorders among university students in Bangladesh
- Short Communication
- Nutrition and physical activity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood: further research is warranted
- Letter
- Losing lives to the peril of ragging
Articles in the same Issue
- 10.1515/ijamh-2015-frontmatter1
- Editorial
- Pregnant, even when you did not want to be pregnant
- Original articles
- How adolescents learn about risk perception and behavior in regards to alcohol use in light of social learning theory: a qualitative study in Bogotá, Colombia
- An assessment of basic nutrition knowledge of adolescents with eating disorders and their parents
- More than a break: the impact of a social-pedagogical intervention during young persons’ long-term hospital admission – a qualitative study
- Effect of external classroom noise on schoolchildren’s reading and mathematics performance: correlation of noise levels and gender
- Physical self-esteem – a ten-year follow-up study from early adolescence to early adulthood
- Street hawking among in-school adolescents in a south-western town in Nigeria: pattern, determinants and effects on school performance
- Outcome of adolescents with eating disorders from an adolescent medicine service at a large children’s hospital
- Female adolescents’ perspective about reproductive health education needs: a mixed methods study with explanatory sequential design
- Study of menstrual patterns in adolescent girls with disabilities in a residential institution
- Characteristics of hand sanitizer ingestions by adolescents reported to poison centers
- Health care providers and adolescents’ perspectives towards adolescents’ health education needs: a need assessment based on comparative approach
- Determinants of abortion decisions among Ghanaian university students
- Predictors of peer victimization among Peruvian adolescents in the young lives cohort
- Risk of eating disorders among university students in Bangladesh
- Short Communication
- Nutrition and physical activity during the transition from adolescence to adulthood: further research is warranted
- Letter
- Losing lives to the peril of ragging
