Balancing Healthy Meals and Busy Lives: Associations Between Work, School, and Family Responsibilities and Perceived Time Constraints Among Young Adults

Overview

Journal J Nutr Educ Behav

Publisher Elsevier

Date 2012 Sep 29

PMID 23017891

Citations 30

Authors

Jennifer E Pelletier

Melissa N Laska

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To characterize associations between perceived time constraints for healthy eating and work, school, and family responsibilities among young adults.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Setting: A large, Midwestern metropolitan region.

Participants: A diverse sample of community college (n = 598) and public university (n = 603) students.

Main Outcome Measures: Time constraints in general, as well as those specific to meal preparation/structure, and perceptions of a healthy life balance.

Analysis: Chi-square tests and multivariate logistic regression (α = .005).

Results: Women, 4-year students, and students with lower socioeconomic status perceived more time constraints (P < .001-.002); students with lower socioeconomic status were less likely to have a healthy balance (P ≤ .003). Having a heavy course load and working longer hours were important predictors of time constraints among men (P < .001-.004), whereas living situation and being in a relationship were more important among women (P = .002-.003).

Conclusions And Implications: Most young adults perceive time constraints on healthy dietary behaviors, yet some young adults appear able to maintain a healthy life balance despite multiple time demands. Interventions focused on improved time management strategies and nutrition-related messaging to achieve healthy diets on a low time budget may be more successful if tailored to the factors that contribute to time constraints separately among men and women.

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