Relationship between needs driving eating occasions and eating behavior in midlife women.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between type of eating occasion based on need state segments experienced by 200 midlife women (46+/-6 years) and food group, nutrient, and energy intake. Women completed an Eating Occasion Questionnaire for 3 eating occasions over a 3-day period for which they maintained diet records. Cluster analysis segmented 559 eating occasions into six need states. Energy, total fat, and cholesterol consumption per occasion were highest in « routine family meal » occasions of which more than 60% were dinner and eaten at home with their children. The percentage of eating occasions in which fruits/vegetables were eaten was also highest in « routine family meal, » followed by « healthy regimen. » More than half of « indulgent escape » eating occasions occurred away from home and about one-third were experienced as a snack. Saturated fat and sweets intakes were the highest in the « indulgent escapes » occasions. Eating occasions experienced by women according to needs surrounding the occasion should be considered when developing tailored interventions to improve intake.