THE INFLUENCE OF THE FAMILY ENVIRONMENT ON THE NUTRITIONAL BEHAVIOUR OF SECONDARY-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS (ON THE EXAMPLE OF WARSAW ENVIRONMENT)

Abstract

The aim of the empirical survey and undertaken literature studies was to assess the influence of the family environment on the selected nutritional behaviour of adolescents from secondary-school living in Warsaw. The research was conducted among 131 pupils and 79 pupils’ mothers using a questionnaire method. A test of independence c² was executed at a significance level of p <0.05. There has been evaluated the number of the selected features characterizing the family environment (parents’ level of education and employment, number of people in family and total family income) and their influence on the nutritional behaviour of the adolescents. The analysis of the data showed a significant correlation between the nutritional behaviour of adolescents and the family environment. Especially mothers’ education and total family income were statistically correlated with their children’s nutritional behaviour. The research also confirmed a number of irregularities in dietary habits of teenagers.