Abstract
This study aimed to describe meat consumption rationalisation and relationships with meat consumption patterns and food choice motivations in New Zealand adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study of adolescents from high schools across New Zealand. Demographics, dietary habits, and motivations and attitudes towards food were assessed by online questionnaire and anthropometric measurements taken by researchers. The 4Ns questionnaire assessed meat consumption rationalisation with four subscales: 'Nice', 'Normal', 'Necessary' and 'Natural'. Nineteen secondary schools from eight regions in New Zealand, with some purposive sampling of adolescent vegetarians in Otago, New Zealand. Questionnaires were completed by 385 non-vegetarian and vegetarian (self-identified) adolescents. A majority of non-vegetarian adolescents agreed that consuming meat was 'nice' (65 %), but fewer agreed that meat consumption was 'necessary' (51 %). Males agreed more strongly than females with all 4N subscales. High meat consumers were more likely to agree than to disagree that meat consumption was nice, normal, necessary and natural, and vegetarians tended to disagree with all rationalisations. Adolescent non-vegetarians whose food choice was motivated more by convenience, sensory appeal, price and familiarity tended to agree more with all 4N subscales, whereas adolescents motivated by animal welfare and environmental concerns were less likely to agree. To promote a reduction in meat consumption in adolescents, approaches will need to overcome beliefs that meat consumption is nice, normal, necessary and natural.
Highlights
Using the 4Ns questionnaire, the present study aimed to describe meat consumption rationalisation and relationships with meat consumption patterns and food choice motivations in a sample of New Zealand adolescents
To assess correlations between meat consumption rationalisation scores and food choice motivations, correlation coefficients were calculated for non-vegetarians
There was no evidence of a relationship between age and meat consumption rationalisations
Summary
Study design The present study is the secondary analysis of the Survey of Nutrition, Dietary Assessment and Lifestyles (SuNDiAL) project, which encompasses two New Zealand-wide cross-sectional surveys, one of female adolescents conducted between February and October 2019 and the other of male adolescents conducted between February and. There are four subscales (four items per Adolescent meat consumption rationalisation subscale), scored on a seven-point scale: participants were asked to mark how strongly they agreed or disagreed with the given statements. To determine demographic predictors of the meat rationalisation scores in non-vegetarians, mixed effects regression models were used, with the subscale score as the dependent variable and the demographic variable (sex, age, deprivation, BMI Z-score or weight status) as the independent variable. Moderate/high consumers) and meat consumption rationalisation scores were assessed using mixed effects regression models as before, but with further adjustment for age, sex and deprivation. To assess correlations between meat consumption rationalisation scores and food choice motivations, correlation coefficients were calculated for non-vegetarians. Residuals of all regression models were plotted and visually assessed for homogeneity of variance and normality
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
