Examining food intake similarities in adolescent best friend dyads using longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Models

Little is known about how adolescent best friends may affect each other's food intake. This study explored whether friendship selection and socialization mechanisms explained potential food intake similarities in adolescent reciprocated best friend dyads. We also tested whether socialization processes were moderated by dyad member's relative zBMI. Members of 145 same-gender best friendship dyads (56% female; Mage = 12.79; SDage = 0.61) reported on their intake of food obtained from home and from outside the home at the beginning and the end of the school year through food frequency questionnaires. Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Models results showed no indication of selection or socialization, and very limited evidence for the moderation of socialization processes by relative zBMI. These findings indicate that focusing on adolescent reciprocated best friends in dietary interventions may not be valuable.