Determinants of Fast-Food Consumption Pattern and Causes of Tendency towards Ready-to-eat Food in Iranian Secondary School Students: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: The prevalence of fast-food consumption in students has increased worldwide, causing multiple complications. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess fast-food consumption pattern and causes of tendency to ready-to-eat food in Iranian secondary school students.Methods: This cross-sectional investigation was carried out among 600 students, 13-18 years old, selected by cluster sampling method from five districts of Khoy, Iran. Data were collected by demographic information, semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and causes of tendency towards ready-to-eat food questionnaires. Content and face validity of the questionnaire was proved by the faculty members of Khoy University of Medical Sciences. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS version 19.Results: Our results showed that 68.6% of the participants had a low fast-food consumption pattern. The main reasons for the tendency toward ready-to-eat food were “the good taste of these foods” (40.2%), and “compulsion and necessity if there is no food at home” (40.2%). There was a significant statistical association between gender (P=0.03), occupational status of mother (P=0.02), parents’ education (P=0.05), family’s decision to avoid fast-food restaurant (P=0.001), number of fast-food restaurants in the home to school path (P=0.001), and sports activities (P=0.03) as well as between the weight, awareness, and BMI (P=0.001) with fast-food consumption pattern.Conclusions: Fast-food consumption pattern among students is mainly low possibly due to the awareness of students of the fact that fast-food consumption is an unwholesome dietary behavior as it augments weight and other hazard of diseases related to diet.