Gender Differences in the Relationship between Children's Involvement in Meal Preparation and Adulthood Dietary Intake

Abstract

Existing research offers insights into children’s involvement in meal preparation (CIMP) as a beneficial parental strategy to promote childhood healthy food intake, but studies on the long-term association between CIMP before ages 10-12 and adult dietary intake, including gender-specific analyses, are limited. This study aimed to examine the relationship between CIMP and adulthood dietary habits by separately analyzing German adult men and women aged 18-59. This cross-sectional study collected data via a web-based anonymous questionnaire in Germany from March 2021 to May 2022. A single-item measure assessed CIMP. Participants reported the number of portions of fruits and vegetables and intake frequency of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and processed foods in the past four weeks. Separate multiple regression analyses were performed for each gender, with current intake of each food as the dependent variable. In total, 998 individuals completed the survey: 276 men (27.7%) and 722 women (72.3%). Concerning men, higher CIMP was associated with higher vegetable intake and lower SSB consumption. Among women, higher CIMP was associated with higher vegetable intake and lower processed food consumption. There was no significant difference between men and women with respect to the association of CIMP with vegetable intake. The results support CIMP's significant role in explaining adult dietary patterns beyond the influence of well-known demographic and anthropometric variables. This study is the first to provide insights for the long-term associations between CIMP and adulthood food consumption for both men and women.

Keywords: Childhood, meal preparation, gender differences, dietary intake, cross-sectional study