Perception Of Snacks Research Articles

Level Perception of Elementary School Students Towards Food in The School Environment of Banyuwangi Public Elementary School 2 Tukang Kayu

Elementary school students' understanding of healthy food is very important because this will have an impact on the health of students and the school environment. This study aims to measure the extent to which students' perceptions of snacks in the school environment at SD Negeri 2 Tukang Kayu Banyuwangi. This research used survey method. The subjects in this study were 50 fifth grade students of SD Negeri 2 Tukang Kayu Banyuwangi. The research instrument was a questionnaire or questionnaire sheet. The analysis used is descriptive qualitative. The results of student perceptions obtained 72% of students can understand healthy snacks in the school environment.

"I Like the One With Minions": The Influence of Marketing on Packages of Ultra-Processed Snacks on Children's Food Choices.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the most consumed school snacks using the free listing and understand how marketing strategies on food labels influenced children's perceptions of snacks via focus groups.DesignThe study design involved free lists and semi-structured focus group interviews.SettingSão Paulo, Brazil.ParticipantsA total of 69 children were involved in this study.Phenomenon of InterestChildren's perceptions of food labels.AnalysisFood groups mentioned on the free lists were analyzed for their frequency and priority of occurrence. The focus groups were analyzed through content analysis.ResultsJuices and chips were the most salient snacks, with availability and flavor as reasons for their consumption. Children found images on labels appealing, which created a desire for the food, although could be deceptive. Snacks perceived as healthy were encouraged by parents, and children could more easily convince them to buy snacks with health claims. Colors and brands were important to catch children's attention and make the snack recognizable. Television commercials and mascots reinforced marketing strategies on labels.Conclusions and ImplicationsOur results point to the need for public health strategies to deal with the obesity epidemic through creating and implementing specific legislation to regulate food labels to discourage the consumption of unhealthy snacks and prohibit food marketing targeted at children.

Perceptions of Snacks Among Fathers of Preschoolers: A Pilot Study

Fathers of preschoolers (N = 47) responded to six open-ended questions regarding snacks via Qualtrics to understand how fathers perceive snacks. Most fathers were White (85%), well educated (72% had bachelor's degree or higher), and married (98%). Content analysis was applied to survey responses, and themes were identified. Three overarching themes with subthemes were discovered, including (a) snack characteristics, (b) snack decisions, and (c) snack rituals. If health professionals wish to develop messages about children's snacking behaviors, it is essential to understand how snacks are defined by parents, including fathers, when snacking occurs, and how snacking decisions are made.

The benefits of defining “snacks”

Whether eating a “snack” is considered a beneficial or detrimental behavior is largely based on how “snack” is defined. The term “snack food” tends to connote energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods high in nutrients to limit (sugar, sodium, and/or saturated fat) like cakes, cookies, chips and other salty snacks, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Eating a “snack food” is often conflated with eating a “snack,” however, leading to an overall perception of snacks as a dietary negative. Yet the term “snack” can also refer simply to an eating occasion outside of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. With this definition, the evidence to support health benefits or detriments to eating a “snack” remains unclear, in part because relatively few well-designed studies that specifically focus on the impact of eating frequency on health have been conducted. Despite these inconsistencies and research gaps, in much of the nutrition literature, “snacking” is still referred to as detrimental to health. As discussed in this review, however, there are multiple factors that influence the health impacts of snacking, including the definition of “snack” itself, the motivation to snack, body mass index of snack eaters, and the food selected as a snack. Without a definition of “snack” and a body of research using methodologically rigorous protocols, determining the health impact of eating a “snack” will continue to elude the nutrition research community and prevent the development of evidence-based policies about snacking that support public health.

Snacks With Nutrition Labels: Tastiness Perception, Healthiness Perception, and Willingness to Pay by Norwegian Adolescents

ObjectiveConsumers tend to have the perception that healthy equals less tasty. This study aimed to identify whether information provided by the Keyhole symbol, a widely used front-of-package symbol in Nordic countries to indicate nutritional content, and percent daily values (%DVs) affect Norwegian adolescents' perception of the healthiness of snacks and their intention to buy them. DesignTwo tasks were used to evaluate adolescents' perception of snacks with the Keyhole symbol: with %DVs or with no nutrition label. A third task was used to test their abilities to use %DVs (pairwise selections). A survey obtained personal attributes. ParticipantsA total of 566 Norwegian adolescents. Main Outcome MeasuresTaste perception, health perception, and ability to use %DVs. AnalysisLinear mixed models and logistic models that tested effects of labels and personal attributes on main outcome measures. ResultsThe Keyhole symbol increased health perception without influencing taste perception of snacks. Norwegian adolescents had limited abilities to use information from the %DVs correctly to identify healthier foods. Conclusions and ImplicationsNorwegian adolescents had a positive perception of the Keyhole symbols. Keyhole symbols as a simple, heuristic front-of-package label have potential as an information strategy that may influence self-efficacy in promoting healthy snack choices among adolescents.