Food choices and behaviour in Quebecois children

Purpose: The relationships are explored between food choices of school-aged children and eating in the bedroom, while watching television, or in front of the computer. Methods: Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire that 534 subjects completed in class. Participants were ten- to 12-year-old children from Quebec. Results: Significant positive correlations were found between the act of eating in the bedroom and eating in front of the television or the comptiter (p < 0.05). Significant positive correlations were also found between eating in the bedroom, or eating in front of the television or the computer, and the consumption of low-density food, foods high in sugar and fat, and foods low in fibre (p < 0.05). Data also revealed more negative food habits for boys than for girls (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Because of the prevalence of childhood obesity, these findings support the need to document children's food consumption patterns and gender differences.