Food Choices Of Adults Research Articles

Commensality and food choice in a nationally representative sample of adults from the United States

The act of eating together, known as commensality, is an evolved mechanism of human life. Nonetheless, the association of commensality with food choice in adults is unclear, particularly in the United States where there is wide availability of highly processed food (e.g., ice cream, chips). The association may differ based on the social role of co-eaters, but this has not been fully examined. The present study was a cross-sectional survey of a nationally representative sample of the adult population in the United States (N = 750; Mage = 45.10 ± 16.45; 62.7% White; 50.4% women) conducted online in January 2020. Participants were recruited from double-opt-in market research panels and answered questions regarding commensality, food choice, and sociodemographic information. American adults chose more highly processed food when eating with friends compared to all other co-eaters. Adults with higher versus lower body mass index chose more highly processed food when eating alone. Adults with less versus greater income chose more highly processed food when eating with others, and younger versus older adults, Black versus White Americans, and women versus men chose more highly processed food when eating with others and alone. By considering intersections among commensality, food choice, and culture in adults, social scientists and consumers can identify social eating behaviors that may undermine or support health-promoting dietary change. Choosing minimally processed food like fruit and vegetables when eating with friends may be optimal for American public health.

Effect of Financial Incentives and Default Options on Food Choices of Adults With Low Income in Online Retail Settings

Despite recent growth in online redemption of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, no previous work has tested the impact of economic and behavioral economic strategies on food purchasing behaviors in an online grocery retail setting among adults with low income. To examine the extent to which financial incentives and default shopping cart options influence fruit and vegetable purchases. This randomized clinical trial used an experimental online grocery store for adults who currently or have ever received SNAP benefits. From October 7 to December 2, 2021, participants were instructed to shop for a week's worth of groceries for their household, with a budget tailored to household size; no payment was taken. Random assignment to 1 of 4 conditions: no intervention, 50% discount on eligible fruits and vegetables, prefilled shopping carts with tailored fruit and vegetable items (ie, default options), or a combination of the discount and default options. The primary outcome was the percentage of nondiscounted dollars spent on eligible fruit and vegetables per basket. Of 2744 participants, mean (SD) age was 46.7 (16.0) years, and 1447 (52.7%) identified as women. A total of 1842 participants (67.1%) reported currently receiving SNAP benefits and 1492 (54.4%) reported shopping online for groceries in the previous 12 months. Participants spent a mean (SD) 20.5% (23.5%) of total dollars on eligible fruits and vegetables. Compared with no intervention, those in the discount condition spent 4.7% (98.3% CI, 1.7%-7.7%) of more total dollars on eligible fruits and vegetables; those in the default condition, 7.8% (98.3% CI, 4.8%-10.7%) more; and those in the combination condition, 13.0% (98.3% CI, 10.0%-16.0%) more (P < .001 for all). There was no difference between the discount and the default conditions (P = .06), but the effect in the combination condition was significantly larger than both discount and default conditions (P < .001). Default shopping cart items were purchased by 679 participants (93.4%) in the default condition and 655 (95.5%) in the combination condition, whereas 297 (45.8%) in the control and 361 (52.9%) in the discount conditions purchased those items (P < .001). No variation was observed by age, sex, or race and ethnicity, and results were similar when those who reported never shopping online for groceries were excluded. In this randomized clinical trial, financial incentives for fruits and vegetables and default options, especially in combination, led to meaningful increases in online fruit and vegetable purchases among adults with low income. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04766034.

Dietary Diversity and its Association with Nutritional Status, Cardiometabolic Risk Factors and Food Choices of Adults at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Cape Town, South Africa.

In South Africa, the nutrition transition has led to unhealthy diets lacking variety, contributing to the rise in overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases. Using baseline screening data of the South African Diabetes Prevention Programme (SA-DPP) study, this study aims to determine the relationship of dietary diversity (DD) with nutritional status, cardiometabolic risk factors and food choices of adults at risk of type 2 diabetes in resource-poor communities around Cape Town. Data of 693 adults, 25–65 years old were analysed. This included socio-demographic information, anthropometric measurements, biochemical assessments, food groups consumed the previous day and consumption frequency of certain foods to reflect food choices. The Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) indicator was calculated; 70.4% of participants had low DD (<5 food groups). Low DD was associated with elevated serum triglycerides [AOR: 1.49, 95% CI (1.03, 2.15) p = 0.036]. The DD score was positively correlated (although weak) with the unhealthy food score (r = 0.191, p = 0.050) and sugary food score (r = 0.139, p < 0.01). Study participants at risk of diabetes consumed a diet low in DD; however, DD was not associated with nutritional status or cardiometabolic risk factors except for serum triglycerides.

Healthy food and its influence on consumption: Explicit and implicit attitudes

Introduction: Food choice is influenced by several factors, including intrinsic and extrinsic food characteristics. Nutritional food properties, and, the health benefits provided by these, may affect this choice. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of health allegations on food choices of adults explicitly and implicitly, by adapting the Implicit Association methodology. Method: The sample consisted in 108 individuals. For explicit assessment, the sensory acceptability analysis test was conducted in two sessions (blind and with information), to evaluate the influence of non-sensory characteristics. For implicit assessment, an implicit test was performed, using FreeIAT software. To evaluate nutritional status, weight, height, and waist circumference were measured and Body Mass Index calculated. To analyze the results, descriptive statistics were performed to observe the frequency, the mean ± standard deviation. In, addition, the t-test and Spearman correlation test were performed, adopting a 5% significance level. Results: In the explicit evaluation, it was observed that information about health benefits positively influenced food choice (p<0.01). When assessing healthy food information implicitly, it was clear that 43,52% of participants had a strong preference for healthy foods. Conclusion: The results showed that knowledge about the nutritional aspects of food interferes with food choices explicitly and implicitly. Also, the FreeIAT program proved to be an excellent complementary tool for studies, with consumers regarding food choices, being an innovation for researches in this segment.

Local food environment interventions to improve healthy food choice in adults: a systematic review and realist synthesis protocol

IntroductionLocal food environments have been linked with dietary intake and obesity in adults. However, overall evidence remains mixed with calls for increased theoretical and conceptual clarity related to how availability...

Knowledge of Food Production Methods Informs Attitudes toward Food but Not Food Choice in Adults Residing in Socioeconomically Deprived Rural Areas within the United Kingdom

Objective Understand food choice, from the perspective of people residing in socioeconomically deprived rural neighborhoods. Methods Focus groups (n = 7) were undertaken within a community setting involving 42 adults (2 males and 40 females) recruited through voluntary action groups. Data were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and content analyzed. Results Attitudes to food and health were influenced by knowledge of food production and processing. Healthful foods were considered those which were fresh and unprocessed, and taste was taken as an indicator of how the food had been produced. Despite negative views of food production, processed foods were consumed. Explanations for this tension between what people wanted to eat (unprocessed food) and what they actually chose to eat (processed food) were attributed to lifestyle compression. Conclusions and Implications Dietary health promotion initiatives targeted at deprived rural dwellers should consider perceived issues regarding food production and processing that may influence views on food.