Changes In Food Practices Research Articles

Exploring Burial and Dietary Patterns at the Copper Age Necropolis of Selvicciola (Viterbo, Italy): New Perspectives from 14C and Stable Isotope Data

The Selvicciola necropolis is a large burial site dated to the Copper Age, located on the mid-Tyrrhenian side of Central Italy, in the Fiora river valley. Despite post-depositional disturbances, 32 prehistoric tombs were found, generally in a good state of preservation, with a total number of 119 individuals identified. In the present study, radiocarbon and stable isotope measurements on bone collagen are combined with skeletal data for 71 of these individuals. We aim to investigate possible changes in food practices and burial patterns throughout time. In detail, the results allowed us to define a timeframe for the use of the cemetery of at least 2000 years, with the two most ancient individuals found in tomb 17 and dated to around 3950 cal BC, assigning this a necropolis chronological investigation of the so-called Rinaldone culture. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis confirmed a predominantly agropastoral subsistence strategy for this prehistoric community. Although the plant intake consisted mainly of C3 species, we further discuss the fact that the stable isotope data suggest an increase in the consumption of C4 plants over time. The integration of radiocarbon and isotopic data with the skeletal evidence and material culture provides an interesting insight into the funerary world of this community, highlighting the importance of Selvicciola for the understanding of life in the Mediterranean at the transition between the fourth and the third millennia BC.

Changes in food practices during COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia

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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Young Australian Adults’ Food Practices

ABSTRACTBackgroundYoung Australian adults exhibit poor food behaviors. These include increased consumption of Energy-Dense, Nutrient-Poor (EDNP) foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and low consumption of fruit and vegetables. However, little is known about how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected young Australian adults’ pre-existing adverse food behaviors.ObjectivesThe present study aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on food practices by exploring views of young adults living in Australia.MethodsThrough qualitative descriptive methods, data gathered through individual interviews were thematically analyzed. Participants included 38 young adults aged 18–30 y with a mean age of 24.1 y (76% female).ResultsFive themes emerged: 1) disruption of routines, 2) increased flexibility, 3) changes in food practices, 4) heightened psychological distress, and 5) impact on future behaviors. Disruption of routines and increased flexibility associated with working/learning from home resulted in both positive and negative changes in food practices. Negative changes included increased consumption of EDNP foods, increased consumption of foods prepared outside of home, decreased purchases and consumption of fresh foods, meal skipping, and a lack of meal planning. Positive changes included an increase in home cooking; consistent weekly eating patterns; decreased consumption of EDNP foods; smaller, more frequent meals; and decreased consumption of foods prepared outside of home.ConclusionsYoung Australian adults reported more negative and fewer positive changes in food practices. The observed negative changes in food practices are likely to have accentuated young Australian adults’ previously known poor food behaviors. This study adds to the international literature by reporting ways that young adults implemented positive changes during the pandemic and future directions of their food practices.

COVID- 19 and Changes in Household Food Practices

The purpose of this article is to identify several food practices that households reported having modified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected from a sample of 1,143 adults (males 48.6%) from the province of Quebec, Canada, in May 2020. Respondents completed an online survey containing questions on their food practices. Results indicate that most food practices underwent significant changes because of the pandemic. Changes in food practices differed according to gender, age, and region of residence. The paper contributes to new knowledge on the effects of the pandemic on certain food practices. Practices, when maintained over time, help develop habits. It is therefore relevant to identify the practices whose change is favorable to the development of better food habits.

STARVING SPIRITS: FOOD CONSUMPTION AND GENDER VIOLENCE IN DIANA EVANS’S 26A AND HAN KANG’S THE VEGETARIAN

This article examines the conflicts experienced by the protagonists of 26a (2005) by British-Nigerian Diana Evans and The Vegetarian (2007) by South Korean Han Kang, which are related to patriarchal violence and reflected in their changing dietary habits, ranging from vegetarianism to starvation. Their changes in food practices are interpreted from feminist, food studies, and ecocritical perspectives as stemming from their rebellion against patriarchal abuse and sharing important connections with the natural world, also a traditional object of male dominance and domestication, which are emphasised through frequent references to trees, flowers and fruit.

Effect of implementation of a University Restaurant on the diet of students in a Brazilian public university.

Dietary practices of college students were compared before and after implementation of the University Restaurant (UR) and examined according to frequency of UR use. A natural experiment was conducted with students (n = 1131) of a Brazilian public university using a validated self-completed and identified questionnaire that inquired information on practices of substituting lunch and/or dinner with a snack (≥ 5 days/week) and on regular consumption of foods that were markers of a healthy or unhealthy diet. At the second time point, UR use by students was also assessed based on their attendance to it. Changes in food practices were examined by determining differences in proportions between the two assessments. The analysis of the association between UR use and each dietary practice was carried out using multiple logistic regression models. An association was observed between greater UR use and higher frequency of regular consumption of beans, vegetables, raw vegetables, cooked vegetables and fruit and lower frequency of regular consumption of French fries and/or fried snacks. The UR proved to be an environment that facilitated the adoption of healthy dietary practices and promoted improvement in the diets of the students who were more assiduous to the restaurant.

Food practices, dietary patterns, and leisure among Mexican Americans in the Midwestern U.S.

ABSTRACT Changes in diet that have occurred in the last several decades in many developed countries have contributed to high obesity rates and an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases among immigrant populations. This study, conducted in the Midwestern U.S., examined changes in food practices and dietary patterns among Mexican immigrants and investigated how leisure was related to their food practices and dietary patterns. The study was based on in-depth interviews with 23 Mexican immigrants. The findings showed that immigrants prepared foods of their culture using both traditional and new techniques, excluded other foods of their culture unavailable in their local environment, and consumed foods that were new to them and which they became familiar with in the new country. Following immigration, most interviewees stopped growing food as part of their leisure, and cooking became less fun and was no longer a leisurely activity as a result of time constraints and conflicting family and work schedules.

\u2018Fractures\u2019 in food practices: exploring transitions towards sustainable food

Emissions arising from the production and consumption of food are acknowledged as a major contributor to climate change. From a consumer’s perspective, however, the sustainability of food may have many meanings: it may result from eating less meat, becoming vegetarian, or choosing to buy local or organic food. To explore what food sustainability means to consumers, and what factors lead to changes in food practice, we adopt a sociotechnical approach to compare the food consumption practices in North West England with two differing consumer groups. The first, supermarket shoppers ‘embedded’ in the mainstream food regime; and the second, who self-identify as sustainable food practitioners, and who perform a range of sustainable food consumption practices. We examine how our two groups experience changes in food practices and identify ‘fractures’ stemming from lifecourse and public events that emerge as points where change might occur. We suggest that ‘sharing spaces’ would be one possibility for prompting and nurturing fractures that can lead to greater sustainability in food practices.

Relações entre soberania alimentar, práticas alimentares e conflito territorial na comunidade Quilombola Angelim I/Food sovereignty, food practices and territorial conflict in the Quilombola community Angelim I - Sapê do Norte (ES)

O presente artigo apresenta algumas reflexões sobre as relações entre a soberania alimentar, as práticas alimentares e o território a partir de um estudo de caso na comunidade quilombola Angelim I, situada na região do “Sapê do Norte”, local onde se territorializaram várias comunidades negras rurais no extremo norte do litoral do Espírito Santo e que enfrenta desafios no que tange a soberania e segurança alimentar e nutricional. AbstractThis article presents reflections about the relationship between food sovereignty, food practices and territory in the quilombola community Angelim I, in the “Sapê do Norte” region, state of Espírito Santo, based on part of the author's master's research, carried out as a case study. Ours perspective comes from the Geography glance mainly, with food as the central axis to unveil, through literature review, field research, oral history and participatory mapping with the inhabitants, the changes in food practices and their territorialities upon arrival of companies, the implications in their way of life, thus pointing out the difficulties and r-existences of the community.Keywords: foods overeignty, food practices, quilombola territoriality.

“What’s the Big Deal to Be Romanian if You Don’t Have What to Eat” : Food Practices in “Transition”

AbstractThis article examines some of the main changes in food practices from the first half of 1990s shaped by the new political and economic environment. Based mainly on an analysis of press articles from this period, three main themes are identified in the discussion of alimentation: “hunger”, queues, and new configurations of commerce. This article suggests that these are entangled in a changing culture of shortages specific to the 1980s through an adaptation of older practices of consumption and commercialization of food, discursive tropes and moral judgments. In this way, a simultaneously prospective and retrospective orientation appears in which some of the ethos of the previous social order is used in new ways of making sense of the present. Food plays an important role in this orientation, its rationalization and precariousness specific to the 1980s being now replaced by new worries and uncertainties raised by the economic measures of “transition”.

Validity of an instrument for assessing food consumption, food habits and cooking skills in 8-11 years old students

An instrument to measure food knowledge, food consumption, cooking skills, food habits and food expenses at school is necessary to assess changes in food practices. To validate an instrument to measure changes in food knowledge, food consumption, cooking skills, food habits and food expenses in Chilean school children 8 - 11 years from third to fifth grade. A validation of a questionnaire with 42 questions was conducted in two stages: the first to assess temporal stability, concordance and internal consistency in 45 children. The second one to apply the survey, modified with the results of the first stage, in 90 children assessing internal consistency. The first survey with 42 questions showed a reasonable temporal stability, concordance and internal consistency for cooking skills, habits and food expenditure at school. Internal consistency was good for food consumption, but not so good for food knowledge. In the final validation with 90 children, there was good consistency for food consumption but bad for food knowledge. Besides, children with cooking skills ate more healthy food and those who expended more money at school, consumed less healthy food. Food knowledge questions were eliminated from the instrument, which was elaborated with 28 questions about food consumption, cooking skills, food habits and food expenses at school. This instrument is useful to assess changes in food and nutrition education interventions in 8 -11 years children, in particular to measure cooking skills and food expenses at school.

Improving maternal oral health knowledge and practices: an intervention from Sri Lanka

Background: Oral health is one of the most common chronic diseases among school children in Sri Lanka. However, there is little or no priority given for oral health preventive strategies. The role of mother or the primary carer of children was identified as significant in oral health promotion. In this context it was vital to empower mothers or care givers of preschool children to improve oral health of children. Objectives: To develop and implement an intervention to promote the oral health of preschool children. To assesses the oral health knowledge and selected oral health care practices of mothers or care givers of preschool children before and after the intervention. Methods: A community based quasi experimental study was conducted in the District of Colombo, Sri Lanka. An intervention in the form of a lecture discussion based on a booklet developed for this study was implemented. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to assess oral health knowledge and practices before intervention and six months after the intervention. Results: At pre intervention, both intervention and control groups were similar except for Oral health practices and house hold food practices. Oral health knowledge, Oral health practices, tooth brushing practices of preschool child and Household food practices were significantly higher in intervention group at post intervention(p <0.005). Conclusion: Mothers/care givers of preschool children were able to improve and maintain positive practical oral health care behaviours after an educational intervention. However, changes in food practices could not be achieved at the same level of significance.

How consumption prescriptions affect food practices: Assessing the roles of household resources and life-course events

Food consumption has become the subject of many prescriptions that aim to improve consumers’ health and protect the environment. This study examined recent changes in food practices that occurred in response to prescriptions. Based on practice theories, we assume that links that connect practices with prescriptions result from evolving social interactions. Consistent with the life-course perspective, we focus on distinctions between public prescriptions and standards that individuals consider relevant to their lives. We rely on quantitative data and the results of qualitative fieldwork conducted in France. Our results suggest that consumers may change food practices when they reach turning points in their lives. They may reconsider resources, skills and standards. Middle- and upper-class individuals are more likely to adopt standards consistent with public prescriptions. Possible explanations are that they trust expert knowledge sources, their social networks are less stable and smaller gaps exist between their standards and prescriptions.

WHAT'S ON THE TABLE: NUTRITION PROGRAMMING FOR REFUGEES IN THE UNITED STATES

This article examines how nutrition outreach efforts address changing food practices among refugee populations resettled in the United States. Qualitative, ethnographic data for the article is drawn from the author's work with the Food and Nutrition Outreach program for resettled refugees and includes the perspectives of practitioners and refugees. Drawing on anthropological theories on the interplay between social meanings and structures of the political economy, the article examines how social meanings and socioeconomic processes facilitate changes in food practices. Findings on the topics of assessing nutritional needs, defining healthy eating, as well as the social organization and meaning of food practices illustrate the importance of going beyond dietary guidelines to incorporate discussion‐based nutrition education between service providers and refugees. The article concludes with both practical and structural suggestions for next steps in nutrition programming for refugees.

Factors contributing to changes in food practices of a black South African community

Merkbare veranderinge in die lewenstyl van die swart bevolkingsgroepe in Suid-Afrika is die afgelope vier dekades waargeneem. Voedselpraktyke as deel van lewenstyl het gevolglik ook verander. Onlangse publikasies waarin hierdie veranderinge gerapporteer word, benadruk die voedingen gesondheidsrisiko’s wat hierdie veranderinge tot gevolg het, en betreklik min aandag word gegee aan die veranderende voedselpraktyke wat daarmee gepaard gaan. Gevolglik is daar beperkte inligting oor die voedselpraktyke van die verskillende etniese groepe in Suid-Afrika bekend, aangesien die klem grootliks geplaas word op wat geeet word. Ten einde sinvolle voeding-onderrig en -intervensies te kan deurvoer behoort daar ook insig en begrip te wees vir waarom mense eet wat hulle eet.

Learning, communicating and eating in local food-systems: the case of organic box schemes in Denmark and Norway

The present study explores whether organic box schemes can improve learning, communication and food consumption in a sustainable direction. Customers' conceptions and practices in three box schemes operating in Norway and Denmark in 2001 were studied. The study was conducted as a survey including all subscribers in the three box schemes. Three indicators of sustainability were chosen to assess the contribution of local box schemes to sustainable food provisioning. These indicators were: awareness of food-system issues, improved communication and social relations in the box schemes, and changes in food consumption practice. The studied box schemes held the potential of enhancing all the sustainability indicators that were explored in this study. The study indicates that when box schemes are multi-functional, when they focus not only on food distribution but also on providing an arena for learning and actual changes in food practices, they have potential to support the development of more sustainable, local and organic food-systems.

Traditionalism or Rationality? Aspects of Potato Consumption in Sweden

The paper describes the early introduction of the potato in Sweden - and the process whereby it has become an important staple. Although consumption has decreased since the 1930s. the potato still holds its position as one of the traditional foodstuffs, which could be interpreted as a sign of conservatism regarding people's food choice. Via data concerning potato consumption in contemporary households the paper questions this conclusion. By pinpointing considerable changes in food practices - and attitudes toward the cooked dinner -it is suggested that this single item rather expresses the dynamics or food habits and its constantly and successfully capacity for adjusting to surrounding living and working conditions.

Nutrition communication program: A direct mail approach

A nutrition communication model (7) provided the framework for developing and evaluating a mass communication program for families with young children. A three-way interactive communication system via direct mail combined some of the attributes of interpersonal communication with the efficiency of mass-mediated communication. This interaction within the family and between the family and the nutrition communicator was expected to enhance the probability of improvement in nutritional knowledge, attitudes, and practices. The nutrition program took a holistic approach in order to develop an understanding of basic concepts important for making decisions about diet and food selection. Results from audience lists showed that the communication strategy led to desired interaction, particularly within the family reference group. Family discussion occurred frequently, and the amount of feedback was moderate. Attention paid to the messages was good for fathers and very good for mothers. As measured two weeks after program completion, nutrition knowledge increased significantly, and six of nine measured behaviors changed in the desired direction. In addition, one-third to one-half of the participants reported specific changes in food practices. The nutrition communication program was generally effective. The evidence of behavioral changes shows that it is possible to influence food practices with a mass communication program. These results support the belief that the limited effects of mass-mediated programs have been due at least in part to the way the channel has traditionally been used.