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Eating and Health Module (ATUS): Overview

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The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey (ATUS) collects information on how Americans spend their time—on paid work, household activities, child care, recreation, and numerous other activities. ATUS, launched in January 2003, is a continuous, nationally representative survey. Respondents were asked to report their activities for the 24-hour period from 4 a.m. on the day before the interview until 4 a.m. on the interview day.

Image of a senior couple channel surfingFrom January 2006 to December 2008, ATUS included an Eating and Health Module (EH Module) developed by ERS. The module contains questions on whether respondents ate or drank while engaged in other activities, such as driving or watching TV; general health, height, and weight; participation in the Food Stamp Program; children's consumption of meals obtained at day care, school, or summer programs; grocery shopping and meal preparation; and household income. Data derived from the EH Module will enable study of relationships between time use patterns and eating patterns, nutrition, obesity, use of food stamps, and participation in children's school meal programs. A User's Guide provides further information on data collection. The module was funded by ERS and the National Institutes of Health-National Cancer Institute.

For more information, contact: Karen Hamrick

Web administration: webadmin@ers.usda.gov

Updated date: February 11, 2009