Parents' Report of Fast-Food Purchases for Their Children
Rudd UCONNRUDDCENTER.ORG Report September 2018 Parents’ Reports of Fast-Food Purchases for Their Children: Have They Improved? AUTHORS: Summary Jennifer L. Harris, PhD, MBA Fast-food consumption is associated with poor diet quality in youth.1-3 Therefore, improving Maia Hyary, MPA the nutritional quality of fast-food meals consumed by children is an important public health Nicole Seymour, MSW objective. In response to public health concerns, several of the largest fast-food restaurants Yoon Young Choi, MS have introduced policies to offer healthier drinks and/or sides with their kids’ meals. However, few research studies have examined the menu items that parents purchase for their children at fast-food restaurants or their attitudes about healthier kids’ meal offerings. The primary purpose of this study was to document parents’ reported fast-food purchases for their children (ages 2-11) and examine changes over time. Online surveys were conducted in 2010 (n=771 parents), 2013 (n=835 parents), and 2016 (n=871). Parents also provided detailed information about purchases of lunch or dinner for their child in the past week at one of the four largest fast-food restaurants (McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, or Subway) including specific menu items purchased and why they chose that restaurant. In 2016 only, the survey also asked for detailed information about visits to KFC, Dairy Queen, and Panera Bread (in addition to the four restaurants examined in 2010 and 2013), and parents reported their attitudes about restaurants’ healthier kids’ meal policies. All parents then reported the frequency of their visits to 16 fast-food restaurants with their children for any occasion.
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