Exploring Dietary Behavior Differences among Children by Race/Ethnicity and Socioeconomic Status

BACKGROUND In Spartanburg County, SC, nearly 33.7% of children are overweight or obese. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in eating behavior of youth by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. METHODS Students (N = 997) in 4th to 5th grades completed the School Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey. School databases categorized students as either White or racial/ethnic minority and free/reduced or full paid lunch status. Dietary behaviors included 13 composite measures: unhealthy proteins, healthy proteins, dairy, refined grains, whole grains, vegetables, fruit, fried snacks, sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, and consumption of a breakfast, evening, and/or restaurant meal. Logistic regression, controlling for sex, was used to analyze differences in consumption for each nutrition variable. RESULTS Minority youth were less likely to consume healthy proteins (odds ratio [OR] = 0.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.55-0.92) and more likely to eat at a restaurant (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.02-1.70) compared to white youth. Lower socioeconomic status youth were less likely to eat an evening meal compared to higher socioeconomic status youth (OR = 0.59, 95% CI = 0.39-0.89). CONCLUSIONS Differences in dietary behaviors may result from food accessibility and insecurity in minority and/or low-income neighborhoods. Future research should explore policy strategies that can help ensure all youth maintain healthy eating habits and weight status.