Study title

There is need for more research investigating the impact and factors in the family and home environment regarding children and adolescents eating habits. Such factors may be parent-child communication, renting practices and parenting style. The objective with the survey was to develop a questionnaire for both the adolescents and the parents which can be used to identify variables. The questionnaires' reliability and validity were tested in a pilot study. The conceptual framework for the survey included psychosocial aspect like family function, cohesion, conflict, communication, job-family related stress, parenting practice and parenting style. As part of the physical home environment it was mapped out the availability of vegetables and sugar-rich beverages. Family meals was included as an indicator of the socio-cultural home environment. Induvidual characteristics, such as intake of vegetables and sugar-rich beverages, and adolescents impulsivity were also included. The questionnaire were tested in a re-test study in which 54 adolescents and 44 of their parents participated and in a cross-sectional survey including 440 adolescents, aged 13-15 yeasr, 242 of their mothers and 155 of their fathers. The samples are relatively representative for Norwegian adolescents and their parents. The conceptual framework developed may be a useful tool in mapping out the home food environment and the family processes related to adolescents' dietary habits. The results support the use of the questionnaire as a tool with satisfactory psychometric property to assess family characteristics and adolescent's impulsivity.