Mothers’ Nutrition Knowledge Is Unlikely to Be Related to Adolescents’ Habitual Nutrient Intake Inadequacy in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Study of Japanese Junior High School Students

Abstract

Dietary habits in adolescence persist into adulthood; thus, it is important to identify the factors that influence adolescent diet and establish a healthy diet. This study aimed to examine the association between mothers’ nutrition knowledge and their children’s nutrient intake inadequacy among Japanese junior high school student–mother dyads. The participants were 288 students and their mothers. Data regarding mothers’ nutrition knowledge were obtained using a validated, self-administered general nutrition knowledge questionnaire for Japanese adults (JGNKQ). Participants were categorised into two groups according to the mothers’ total JGNKQ scores. Adolescents’ dietary habits during the preceding month were assessed using a brief self-administered diet history questionnaire. Inadequacy of each nutrient intake was assessed using the cut-point method, which showed that 14 nutrients were below “estimated average requirement (EAR)” and five nutrients were outside the range of “tentative dietary goal to prevent lifestyle-related diseases (DG)”. In the habitual daily nutrient intakes and the proportion of nutrient intake inadequacy of the students, no differences were observed according to mother’s nutritional knowledge level. Our findings suggest that mothers’ nutrition knowledge may not be directly associated with adolescents’ nutrient intake among Japanese junior high school student–mother dyads.