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Table 2 Trends in Time Spent Cooking for US adults from 1965–1966 to 2007-2008 *†

From: Trends in US home food preparation and consumption: analysis of national nutrition surveys and time use studies from 1965–1966 to 2007–2008

Proportion cooking (%)

 

MCTRP

AUTP

AUTP

NHAPS/NTDS

ATUS

ATUS

Change

 

1965-1966

1975-1976

1985-1986

1992-1995

2003-2004

2007-2008

1965-2007

Gender

%

SE

%

SE

%

SE

%

SE

%

SE

%

SE

%

  Male

28.6

1.6

29.1

1.3

46.8ab

1.6

38.3a

0.9

37.9 a

0.5

41.7ab

0.6

+13.7

  Female

92.3

0.8

88.4ab

0.8

84.7ab

1.1

67.3ab

0.8

69.0a

0.4

67.7a

0.6

−24.6

Income

  Low

67.6

3.2

69.8c

3.2

65.5

3.0

58.1

3.2

55.6a

0.8

55.6a

1.1

−12.0

  Middle

62.7

1.6

61.7

1.4

67.1b

1.5

53.1ab

3.0

53.1a

0.5

53.6a

0.7

−9.1

  High

59.3

2.1

58.2c

1.7

68.4ab

1.8

49.6ab

3.0

53.9

0.7

56.4b

0.8

−2.9

Mean time spent cooking, of those cooking (min/day)

Gender

min/day

SE

min/day

SE

min/day

SE

min/day

SE

min/day

SE

min/day

SE

min/day

  Male

36.7

2.1

37.8

1.8

36.1

1.6

39.8

1.2

43.0ab

0.7

45.0a

0.9

+8.3

  Female

112.8

2.2

100.6ab

2.0

82.8ab

2.1

64.7ab

1.3

67.1ab

0.6

65.6ab

0.8

−47.2

Income

             

  Low

98.7

5.1

85.8

5.2

73.4a

4.5

57.6ab

3.9

63.5ac

1.2

64.0ac

1.7

−34.7

  Middle

98.0

2.8

83.6ab

2.4

68.5ab

2.3

58.8a

4.0

57.0a

0.8

55.5a

0.9

−34.5

  High

92.6

3.8

91.9

3.3

65.9ab

3.1

63.4a

5.4

55.8ac

0.9

56.5ac

1.0

−36.1

  1. * Data sources include Multinational Comparative Time-Budget Research Project (MCTRP) of 1965–1966 (n=1,888), American’s Use of Time Project (AUTP) of 1975–1976 (n=3,190), AUTP of 1985–1986 (n=2,391), National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS) of 1992–1994 and National Time Diary Study (NTDS) of 1994–1995 (n=6,291), American Time Use Study (ATUS) of 2003–2004 (n=24,382), and ATUS of 2007–2008 (n=17,282). Percentages and mean time spent cooking are adjusted to be nationally representative.
  2. Food preparation includes cooking and food preparation-related cleaning activities.
  3. SE= standard error.
  4. a Mean differed significantly from MCTRP 1965–1996, p ≤ 0.01 (t -test).
  5. b Mean differed significantly from previous survey, p ≤ 0.01 (t -test).
  6. c Mean differed significantly between high and low income groups for relevant year, p ≤ 0.01 (t -test).