Abstract
Background. In addition to social and environmental determinants, people’s values and preferences determine daily food choices. This study evaluated adults’ values and preferences regarding unprocessed red meat (URM) and processed meat (PM) and their willingness to change their consumption in the face of possible undesirable health consequences. Methods. A cross-sectional mixed-methods study including a quantitative assessment through an online survey, a qualitative inquiry through semi-structured interviews, and a follow-up assessment through a telephone survey. We performed descriptive statistics, logistic regressions, and thematic analysis. Results. Of 304 participants, over 75% were unwilling to stop their consumption of either URM or PM, and of those unwilling to stop, over 80% were also unwilling to reduce. Men were less likely to stop meat intake than women (odds ratios < 0.4). From the semi-structured interviews, we identified three main themes: the social and/or family context of meat consumption, health- and non-health-related concerns about meat, and uncertainty of the evidence. At three months, 63% of participants reported no changes in meat intake. Conclusions. When informed about the cancer incidence and mortality risks of meat consumption, most respondents would not reduce their intake. Public health and clinical nutrition guidelines should ensure that their recommendations are consistent with population values and preferences.
Highlights
Many believe that people’s dietary choices have important consequences for their health
Our results are similar to the findings from a previous mixed-methods systematic review that was conducted by our team [8]
We showed that most omnivores were unwilling to change their meat intake
Summary
Many believe that people’s dietary choices have important consequences for their health. People’s food choices, in addition to social and environmental determinants, may depend on their beliefs regarding health effects, their beliefs about the environmental effects of their diet, the pleasure they take in eating, their social and cultural milieu and the relative importance they place on these issues. Given the association between unprocessed red meat (URM) and processed meat (PM) consumption and adverse health outcomes (cancer and cardiovascular events) [4], dietary guidelines have generally recommended limiting meat intake [5,6,7]. In addition to social and environmental determinants, people’s values and preferences determine daily food choices. This study evaluated adults’ values and preferences regarding unprocessed red meat (URM) and processed meat (PM) and their willingness to change their consumption in the face of possible undesirable health consequences.
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