Eating behaviour styles in Irish teens: a cross-sectional study

Objectives: To describe the eating behaviour styles of Irish teens and to explore the relationships between demographic factors, BMI and dietary intake and these eating behaviour styles. Design: Cross-sectional data from the Irish National Teens' Food Survey (2005-2006). The Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire assessed three eating behaviour styles in teens: restrained, emotional and external eating. Data were stratified by sex and age groups. Setting: The Republic of Ireland. Participants: Nationally representative sample of teens aged 13-17 years (n 441). Results: The highest scoring eating behaviour style was external eating (2 center dot 83 external v. 1 center dot 79 restraint and 1 center dot 84 emotional). Girls scored higher than boys on all three scales (Restraint: 2 center dot 04 v. 1 center dot 56, P < 0 center dot 001, Emotional: 2 center dot 15 v. 1 center dot 55, P < 0 center dot 001 and External: 2 center dot 91 v. 2 center dot 76, P = 0 center dot 03), and older teens scored higher than younger teens on the Emotional (1 center dot 97 v. 1 center dot 67, P < 0 center dot 001) and External scales (2 center dot 91 v. 2 center dot 72, P = 0 center dot 01). Teens classified as overweight/obese scored higher than those classified as normal weight on the Restraint scale (2 center dot 15 v. 1 center dot 71, P < 0 center dot 001) and lower on the External scale (2 center dot 67 v. 2 center dot 87, P < 0 center dot 03). Daily energy intake was negatively correlated with the Restraint (r -0 center dot 343, P < 0 center dot 001) and Emotional scales (r -0 center dot 137, P = 0 center dot 004) and positively correlated with the External scale (r 0 center dot 110, P = 0 center dot 02). Conclusions: External eating is the predominant eating behaviour style among Irish teens, but sex, age, BMI and dietary differences exist for each eating behaviour style. Including measures of eating behaviour styles into future dietary research could help understand both how and why as well as what people eat.

Automated summary

The study found that external eating is the predominant eating behavior style among Irish teens. Differences were observed in eating behavior styles based on gender, age, BMI classification, and dietary intake. Including measures of eating behavior styles in future dietary research could provide insights into why people eat the way they do.