Introduction
This study provides the most recent estimates for fast-food consumption in the U.S.,
overall and by race/ethnicity and age.
Methods
Data from adults (aged ≥20 years, N=3,560) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination
Survey, 2017–2018, were used to identify the (1) percentage of adults consuming fast
food, (2) estimated mean percentage of calories consumed from fast food, and (3) estimated
mean total calories consumed from fast food on a typical day. Intake was measured
by in-person, 24-hour dietary recall. Analysis was conducted in 2020.
Results
During 2017–2018, fast food was consumed by 36.5% of adults on a typical day, accounting
for 13.8% of daily calories, an average of 309 kcal/day. More non-Hispanic Black adults
consumed fast food (42.6%), consumed the largest percentage of daily calories from
fast food (17.4%), and consumed the greatest number of daily calories from fast food
(381 kcal/day) than adults of other racial/ethnic groups. Young non-Hispanic Black
adults had the highest level of fast-food consumption, and this was significantly
higher than that among Mexican Americans: percentage consuming fast food (53.5% vs
42.5%, p=0.02) and percentage of calories from fast food (24.1% vs 16.8%, p=0.03). Young non-Hispanic Black adults consumed the highest total fast-food calories,
which were significantly higher than that among non-Hispanic Asian young adults (526
kcal vs 371 kcal, p=0.04). No significant differences in the study outcomes were observed by race/ethnicity
and age compared with non-Hispanic White adults of the same group.
Conclusions
Fast-food consumption among adults in the U.S. is high, particularly among young non-Hispanic
Black adults.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: August 16, 2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
