Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T20:20:09.941Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An investigation of the association between vending machine confectionery purchase frequency by schoolchildren in the UK and other dietary and lifestyle factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 December 2006

Susan A New  and
M Barbara E Livingstone
Susan A New*
Affiliation:
Independent Nutrition Consultant, 4 Whitmore Hill Cottages, Whitmore Vale Road, Grayshott, Surrey, GU26 6LU, UK
M Barbara E Livingstone
Affiliation:
Northern Ireland Centre for Diet and Health, University of Ulster, Coleraine, Co Londonderry, BT52 1SA, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Email SusanANewNWC@aol.com
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

Availability of confectionery from vending machines in secondary schools provides a convenient point of purchase. There is concern that this may lead to ‘over-indulgence’ and hence an increase in susceptibility to obesity and poor ‘dietary quality’. The study objective was to investigate the association between the frequency of consumption of confectionery purchased from vending machines and other sources and related lifestyle factors in adolescent boys and girls.

Design:

A secondary school-based, cross-sectional study.

Subjects and setting:

A total of 504 subjects were investigated (age range 12–15 years), from three schools in southern and northern England. Using a lifestyle questionnaire, frequency of confectionery consumption (CC) from all sources (AS) and vending machines (VM) was recorded for a typical school week. Subjects were categorised into non-consumers, low, medium and high consumers using the following criteria: none, 0 times per week; low, 1–5 times per week; medium, 6–9 times per week; high, 10 times per week or greater.

Results:

No differences were found in the frequency of CC from AS or VM between those who consumed breakfast and lunch and those who did not. No differences were found in the frequency of fruit and vegetable intake in high VM CC vs. none VM CC groups, or in any of the VM CC groups. Confectionery consumption from AS (but not VM) was found to be higher in subjects who were physically active on the journey to school (P <0.01) but also higher in those who spent more time watching television and playing computer games (P <0.01). No associations were found between smoking habits or alcohol consumption and frequency of CC.

Conclusions:

These results do not show a link between consumption of confectionery purchased from vending machines and ‘poor’ dietary practice or ‘undesirable’ lifestyle habits. Findings for total confectionery consumption showed some interesting trends, but the results were not consistent, either for a negative or positive effect.

Keywords

ConfectioneryVending machinesLocal shopBreakfastFruit and vegetables
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 6 , Issue 5 , August 2003 , pp. 497 - 504
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2003

References

1Wildey, MB, Pampalone, SZ, Pelletier, RL, Zive, MM, Elder, JP, Sallis, JF. Fat and sugar levels are high in snacks purchased from student stores in middle schools. Journal of the American Dietetic Association; 2000; 100: 319–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Magarey, A, Bolton, J. The Adelaide Nutrition Study. (4) Meal habits and distribution of energy and nutrients throughout the day at ages 11, 13 and 15 years. Australian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics 1995; 52: 132–8.Google Scholar
3van Loveren, C. Diet and dental caries: cariogenicity may depend more on oral hygiene using fluorides than on diet or type of carbohydrates. European Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2000; 1: 55–62.Google Scholar
4Gibney, MJ, Sigman-Grant, M, Stanton, JL, Keast, DR. Intrinsic sugar as a vehicle for dietary fat. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1995; 62: 178S–94S.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Robson, PJ, Strain, JJ, Cran, GW, Savage, JM, Primrose, ED, Boreham, C. Snack energy and nutrient intakes of Northern Ireland adolescents. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 1991; 50: 180A.Google Scholar
6Prentice, AM, Jebb, SA. Obesity in Britain: gluttony or sloth? British Medical Journal 1995; 311: 437–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Gibson, SA. Consumption of cakes, biscuits and confectionery in British schoolchildren: associations with nutrient intakes. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 1996; 55: 121A.Google Scholar
8New, SA, Grubb, DA. Frequency of consumption of biscuits, cakes and confectionery: relationship with nutrient intake. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 1996; 52: 157A.Google Scholar
9New, SA, Grubb, DA. Relationship of biscuits, cakes and confectionery consumption to body mass index and energy intake in Scottish women. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 1997; 55: 122A.Google Scholar
10Bolton-Smith, C, McCluskey, MK. The relationship between confectionery consumption, physical activity and body mass index (BMI) in a Scottish population. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 1997; 56: 158A.Google Scholar
11Wrieden, WL, McCluskey, MK, Bolton-Smith, C. Confectionery, biscuits, cakes and desserts v. fresh fruit: influence of body mass index. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 1996; 55: 241A.Google Scholar
12Box, V, Landman, J. A breakfast survey of primary schools in low income inner city areas of Southampton. Health Education Journal 1994; 53: 249–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Box, V, Landman, J. Children who have no breakfast. Health Education Journal 1994; 54: 10–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Watt, RG, Sheiham, A. Dietary patterns and changes in inner city adolescents. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 1996; 9: 451–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Brugman, E, Meulmeester, JF, Spee-Van der Wekke, A, Beuker, RJ, Zaadstra, BM, Radder, JJ, et al. Dieting, weight and health in adolescents in The Netherlands. International Journal of Obesity 1997; 21: 54–60.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Gibson, EL, Wardle, J, Watts, CJ. Fruit and vegetable consumption, nutritional knowledge and beliefs in mothers and children. Appetite 1998; 31: 205–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Moore, L, Paisley, CM, Dennehy, A. Are fruit tuck shops in primary schools effective in increasing pupils' fruit consumption? A randomised controlled trial. Nutrition & Food Science 2000; 30: 35–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
18Whybrow, S, Kirk, TR. Nutrient intakes and snacking frequency in female students. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 1997; 10: 237–44.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19Edelstein, SL, Barrett-Connor, EL, Wingard, DL, Cohn, BA. Increased meal frequency associated with decreased cholesterol concentrations; Rancho Bernado, CA, 1984–1987. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1992; 55: 664–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Drummond, S, Kirk, TR, de Looy, A. Snacking: implications in body composition and energy balance. British Food Journal 1995; 97: 12–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21Titan, SMO, Bingham, S, Welch, A, Luben, R, Oakes, S, Day, N. Frequency of eating and concentrations of serum cholesterol in the Norfolk population of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC–Norfolk): cross-sectional study. British Medical Journal 2001; 323: 1–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Jenkins, DA. Carbohydrate tolerance and food frequency. British Journal of Nutrition 1997; 77: S71–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed