scholarly journals Subjective Sensations related to Food as Determinants of Snack Choice

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Duerlund ◽  
Barbara Vad Andersen ◽  
Niki Alexi ◽  
Mei Peng ◽  
Derek Victor Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Visual Analogue Scale ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Analogue Scale ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Physical Wellbeing ◽  
Unhealthy Snacks

Comprehending the complexity and determinants of food choices can help understand facets of the growing obesity epidemic. Focusing on consumers’ subjective sensations as determinants of food choices can provide essential insights into eating behaviors. We explored subjective sensations linked to appetite, desire, wellbeing and energy. This study aims to 1) quantify subjective temporal sensations, and 2) study the effects of these sensations on snack choice. Two-hundred and fifty-three participants (mean age 20.5) evaluated subjective sensations using a visual analogue scale. The choice of one of six snacks was offered to the participants; choices were recorded as implicit choice measures. The results demonstrated that especially sensory specific desire sensations (Salty, Fatty, Sweet desire) affected, either positively or negatively, snack choice. Furthermore, wellbeing sensations (Overall, Mental, Physical wellbeing) also showed significant effects for snack choice. Health-conscious females chose healthy snacks, and males chose unhealthy snacks. Importantly, this research indicates the relevance of subjective sensations in consumer studies that focus on diverse determinants of food choice. Sensory specific desires and wellbeing sensations were notably shown to be important determinants of snack choice. The contribution of different sensations to food choice is imperative, and helps us to understand aspects of snacking behavior. This could have broader implications concerning public health issues and obesity.

scholarly journals Perceptual salience influences food choices independently of health and taste preferences

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Dai ◽  
Jeremy Cone ◽  
Jeff Moher
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Time Pressure ◽  
Taste Preference ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Perceptual Salience ◽  
Choice Tests

Abstract Background Making decisions about food is a critical part of everyday life and a principal concern for a number of public health issues. Yet, the mechanisms involved in how people decide what to eat are not yet fully understood. Here, we examined the role of visual attention in healthy eating intentions and choices. We conducted two-alternative forced choice tests of competing food stimuli that paired healthy and unhealthy foods that varied in taste preference. We manipulated their perceptual salience such that, in some cases, one food item was more perceptually salient than the other. In addition, we manipulated the cognitive load and time pressure to test the generalizability of the salience effect. Results Manipulating salience had a powerful effect on choice in all situations; even when an unhealthy but tastier food was presented as an alternative, healthy food options were selected more often when they were perceptually salient. Moreover, in a second experiment, food choices on one trial impacted food choices on subsequent trials; when a participant chose the healthy option, they were more likely to choose a healthy option again on the next trial. Furthermore, robust effects of salience on food choice were observed across situations of high cognitive load and time pressure. Conclusions These results have implications both for understanding the mechanisms of food-related decision-making and for implementing interventions that might make it easier for people to make healthy eating choices.

scholarly journals Perseverative Cognition and Snack Choice: An Online Pilot Investigation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Eschle ◽  
Dane McCarrick
Keyword(s):  
Food Choice ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Risk Behaviours ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Perseverative Cognition ◽  
Pilot Investigation ◽  
Perseverative Thinking ◽  
Snack Consumption ◽  
Unhealthy Snacks

Perseverative cognition (PC), consisting of worry and rumination, has been consistently linked to a variety of poorer health outcomes, namely via the worsening of stress-induced health risk behaviours. However, research into PC and unhealthy food choice, a key health behaviour, still remains relatively unexplored. In the current pilot investigation, 284 participants were recruited to take part in an online food choice paradigm before completing the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ) and the Brief State Rumination Inventory (BSRI). As a reduced availability of unhealthy snacks has been shown to improve snack choice, participants were randomly allocated to either an even condition (a 3:3 ratio of ≤99 kcal and ≥199 kcal snacks) or an uneven condition (a 4:2 ratio in favour of ≤99 kcal snacks). It was hypothesized that higher levels of PC may predict greater instances of poorer snack choices across, or even within, this paradigm. Despite an increase availability of lower calorie snacks leading to a healthier snack choice, both state and trait PC measures did not significantly influence snack choice irrespective of this varying availability. Although, marginal trends were found for higher state PC and higher calorie crisp selections. The current pilot therefore adds to the growing literature advocating for the use of behavioural economic tactics to engender healthier food choices, yet further work is needed to unpick the mediating role of PC (and its components) in snack consumption paradigms.

A Validation and Reliability Study of the Physical Activity and Healthy Food Efficacy Scale for Children (PAHFE)

2007 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 346-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina M. Perry ◽  
R.J. De Ayala ◽  
Ryan Lebow ◽  
Emily Hayden
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Goal Setting ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Healthy Food ◽  
Validity Evidence ◽  
High Degree

The purpose of this study was to obtain validity evidence for the Physical Activity and Healthy Food Efficacy Scale for Children (PAHFE). Construct validity evidence identifies four subscales: Goal-Setting for Physical Activity, Goal-Setting for Healthy Food Choices, Decision-Making for Physical Activity, and Decision-Making for Healthy Food Choices. The scores on each of these subscales show a moderate to high degree of internal consistency (0.59 ≤ α ≤ 0.87). The Decision-Making for Healthy Food Choice subscale and the Decision-Making for Physical Activity subscale scores show significant convergent validity evidence. These results provide support for using this self-efficacy scale to measure children's perceived confidence to make decisions about healthy eating and physical activity. The PAHFE may be considered to be a useful predictor of both physical activity and eating behaviors.

scholarly journals Snacking cessation: It’s time to challenge this eating behaviour

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 351-355
Author(s):  
Catherine Krejany ◽  
Epi Kanjo ◽  
Moyez Jiwa
Keyword(s):  
Social Norms ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Eating Behaviours ◽  
Eating Pattern ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Health Challenge ◽  
The Way

Our habits have changed over the generations. In particular, our eating behaviours continue to adapt and are intrinsically linked with changing social norms and myriad other influences leading us to consume more. In light of the obesity epidemic that threatens to be our greatest health challenge, the race is on to find new ways to modify or alter our food choices to those considered more “healthful”. Somewhere along the way snacking has become an acceptable eating pattern. We are uncomfortable foregoing these readily available and hedonistic food rewards. It may be time to change more than our food choice and question the need to snack at all.

scholarly journals Food and Mood: Exploring the determinants of food choices and the effects of food consumption on mood among women in Inner London.

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-96
Author(s):  
Joanna Leeds ◽  
Regina Keith ◽  
Maria Woloshynowych
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Faith Based ◽  
Induced Mood ◽  
Effect Of Food

Introduction: The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between food and mood against the backdrop of increased mental health and nutrition cognizance within public health and scientific discourses. Mood was defined as encompassing positive or negative affect. Methodology: A constructionist qualitative approach underpinned this study. Convenience sampling in two faith-based settings was utilised for recruiting participants, who were aged 19-80 (median,48) years. In total 22 Christian women were included in the research, eighteen were in focus groups and four were in individual semi structured interviews. All were church-attending women in inner London. A thematic analysis was carried out, resulting in four central themes relating to food choice and food-induced mood states. Findings: Women identified a number of internal and external factors as influencing their food choices and the effect of food intake on their moods. Food choice was influenced by mood; mood was influenced by food choice. Low mood was associated with unhealthy food consumption, apparent addiction to certain foods and overeating. Improved mood was associated with more healthy eating and eating in social and familial settings. Discussion: Findings indicate food and mood are interconnected through a complex web of factors, as women respond to individual, environmental, cultural and social cues. Targeting socio-cultural and environmental influences and developing supportive public health services, via faith-based or community-based institutions could help to support more women in their struggle to manage the food and mood continuum. Successful implementation of health policies that recognise the psychological and social determinants of food choice and the effect of food consumption on mood, is essential, as is as more research into life-cycle causal factors linking food choice to mood.

scholarly journals Public health nutrition and food policy

2004 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 591-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Caraher ◽  
John Coveney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Food System ◽  
Food Policy ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Public Health Nutrition ◽  
Food Market ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Developed World ◽  
Global Food

AbstractFood in its many manifestations allows us to explore the global control of health and to examine the ways in which food choice is moulded by many interests. The global food market is controlled by a small number of companies who operate a system that delivers ‘cheap’ food to the countries of the developed world. This ‘cheap’ food comes at a price, which externalises costs to the nation state in terms of health consequences (diabetes, coronary heart disease and other food-related diseases) and to the environment in terms of pollution and the associated clean-up strategies. Food policy has not to any great extent dealt with these issues, opting instead for an approach based on nutrition, food choice and biomedical health. Ignoring wider elements of the food system including issues of ecology and sustainability constrains a broader understanding within public health nutrition. Here we argue that public health nutrition, through the medium of health promotion, needs to address these wider issues of who controls the food supply, and thus the influences on the food chain and the food choices of the individual and communities. Such an upstream approach to food policy (one that has been learned from work on tobacco) is necessary if we are seriously to influence food choice.

scholarly journals ‘Eating to survive’: A qualitative analysis of factors influencing food choice and eating behaviour in a food-insecure population

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo-Anne Puddephatt ◽  
Gregory S Keenan ◽  
Amy Fielden ◽  
Danielle Reaves ◽  
Jason Halford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Eating Behaviour ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Access To Food

Food insecurity affects approximately 8.4 million people in the UK, one of the worst levels in Europe. Food insecurity is associated with poor diet quality and obesity; however, the drivers of this relationship are unclear. This study used a qualitative approach to explore factors that influence food choice and eating behaviour in a food-insecure population in Liverpool, UK. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with adults (N=24) who were clients at foodbanks. The interviews were informed by a semi-structured interview schedule, which focussed on access to food, factors influencing food choices, and strategies used to conserve food. Interview transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Six themes were identified; ‘Income’, ‘Cost of food’, ‘Accessibility of shops’, ‘Health issues’, ‘Food rationing strategies’ and ‘Worsened health outcomes’. Income was the most salient factor influencing participants’ food choices with all participants reporting a constant struggle to afford food. Food decisions were primarily based on cost; most participants valued eating healthily but could not afford to do so. Strategies to ration food included skipping meals, consuming small portions, cooking in bulk, and prioritising children’s food intake. The majority of participants reported pre-existing physical and/or mental health issues, but these were exacerbated by poor access to food leading to a vicious cycle of stress and worsening health issues. In conclusion, participants’ food choices and eating behaviour seemed to be most strongly influenced by their level of income. Findings also highlight the mental health impact of food insecurity. Initiatives addressing income and the cost of healthy food are required.

scholarly journals An Ecological Perspective of Food Choice and Eating Autonomy Among Adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda M. Ziegler ◽  
Christina M. Kasprzak ◽  
Tegan H. Mansouri ◽  
Arturo M. Gregory ◽  
Rachel A. Barich ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Perceived Control ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Process Model ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Adolescent Autonomy ◽  
Food Decisions ◽  
Parent Feeding

Adolescence is an important developmental period marked by a transition from primarily parental-controlled eating to self-directed and peer-influenced eating. During this period, adolescents gain autonomy over their individual food choices and eating behavior in general. While parent-feeding practices have been shown to influence eating behaviors in children, little is known about how these relationships track across adolescent development as autonomy expands. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify factors that impact food decisions and eating autonomy among adolescents. Using the food choice process model as a guide, four focus groups were conducted with 34 adolescents. Focus group discussion was semi-structured, asking teens about influences on their food choices across different food environments, their involvement with food purchasing and preparation, and perceived control over food their choices. Focus group transcripts were analyzed using deductive and inductive code creation and thematic analysis. This study found six leading influences on adolescents' food choices and identified additional factors with prominence within specific environmental contexts. This study distinguished a broader spectrum of factors influencing adolescent food choice that extend beyond “convenience” and “taste” which have previously been identified as significant contributors. The degree of control that teens reported differed by eating location, occasion, and social context. Finally, adolescents demonstrated various levels of engagement in behaviors related to their eating autonomy. Identifying the emergent themes related to adolescent autonomy was the first step toward the goal of developing a scale to evaluate adolescent eating autonomy.

scholarly journals Self-confidence for the initial management of health issues in schools: construction and validation of a visual analogue scale

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaqueline Brosso Zonta ◽  
Aline Helena Appoloni Eduardo ◽  
Aline Cristiane Cavicchioli Okido
Keyword(s):  
Visual Analogue Scale ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Analogue Scale ◽  
Semantic Analysis ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Methodological Study ◽  
Educational Strategies ◽  
Initial Management ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
High Internal Consistency

Abstract Objective: To describe the construction and validation of a visual analogue scale of teachers' self-confidence with regard to the initial management of health issues in schools. Method: A methodological study was developed based on theoretical (items' construction and content validation), empirical (semantic analysis and pilot test), and analytical procedures (internal consistency analysis). The project was approved by a research ethics committee. Results: The scale consisted of 12 items regarding the main health issues in schools, presented content validity index of 100% in the second round, was understood by the target audience, and presented high internal consistency among items (Cronbach's alpha of 0.89). Conclusion and implications for practice: An easy-to-use tool that proved to be relevant to meet the dimension of teachers' self-confidence in the initial management of health issues in schools. The scale may contribute to the planning of systematized and effective educational strategies among teachers.

Food choices and service evaluation under time constraints: the school lunch environment

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (12) ◽  
pp. 3191-3210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amit Sharma ◽  
Joonho Moon ◽  
Lisa Bailey-Davis ◽  
Martha Conklin
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Wait Time ◽  
School Lunch ◽  
Food Choices ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
School Students ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Few states or local school districts mandate a minimum time for lunch. With increasing pressure on schools to maximize instructional time, many US students have witnessed continued reductions in the time allotted to lunch periods and, thus, less time to choose from an increasing number of food options. This study aims to investigate middle and high school students’ preferences regarding the time available for school lunches and whether the amount of time would affect their food choice preferences. Design/methodology/approach This study investigated students’ self-reported lunchtime constraints and food choice preferences through a paper-and-pencil survey. The categorical and ratio responses were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression. Findings Students responded that they rarely had enough time to eat school lunch and that the lunch line waiting time strongly or very strongly influenced their food choices. For the students for whom time available for lunch and time in the lunch line influenced what they ate, they were more likely to prefer limited food choices in several categories of the school lunch menu. Practical implications Foodservice professionals who wish to actively promote better nutrition might consider practical ways to reduce the foodservice wait time for students. While making healthier default options (e.g. a fruit or fresh vegetable side) could increase service convenience, time required for students to make informed meal choices should not be compromised. Originality/value Because lunch line waiting time is related to students’ food choices, schools need to review the number and types of food choices offered in terms of whether they encourage students to make more healthful choices. This study offers a unique perspective on the relationship between time and individual food choices in the school lunch environment and how this relationship affects the quality of children’s diets and their eating behaviors.

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