[Eating out behavior of residents aged 6 and above in China from 2015 to 2017].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the eating out behavior of Chinese residents aged 6 and above from 2015 to 2017. METHODS: Using the data of eating out behavior in the past week from China Nutrition and Health Surveillance(2015-2017), after data cleaning, a total of 150 682 subjects were included in this study, including 80 703 in 2015 and 69 979 in 2016-2017. The percentage of cases were used to describe the eating behaviors of different characteristics of the population, Chi-square test was used to comparative analysis. RESULTS: From 2015 to 2017, proportions of eating out for all the three meals was 46.3% of Chinese residents aged 6 and above in the past week, that of were 69.7%, 84.6%, 33.2%, 19.8% and 9.1% of Chinese residents aged 6 to 11, 12 to 17, 18 to 44, 45 to 59 and 60 and above, respectively. The proportion of urban and rural residents eating out in the past week were 52.8% and 41.2%, respectively, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). The proportion of male and female residents eating out in the past week were 49.6% and 43.1%, respectively, the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05). Proportions of eating out for breakfast, lunch and dinner were 31.4%, 37.2% and 21.4% respectively of Chinese residents, that of were 17.3%, 29.1% and 15.1% of Chinese residents eating breakfast, lunch and dinner in work/school canteens. CONCLUSION: Children aged 6 to 17 years old are the key groups for eating out. Among adults aged 18 and above, residents aged 18 to 44 have the highest proportion of eating out. Proportions of eating out for lunch is the highest and the main eating-out place is the canteen for Chinese residents.