Predictors Of Food Consumption Research Articles

Predicting Food Consumption to Reduce the Risk of Food Insecurity in Kazakhstan

In modern times, the risk of food insecurity is a concern for policymakers at the global and national levels, as the issue of hunger and malnutrition still exists. Food security is vulnerable to any crises. The main goal of this paper is to create a neural-network-based predictive model to forecast food consumption trends in Kazakhstan, aiming to reduce the risk of food insecurity. The initial phase of this study involved identifying socioeconomic factors that significantly influence food consumption behaviors in Kazakhstan. Principal component analysis was used to identify key variables, which became the basis for modelling artificial neural networks. It was revealed that the poverty rate, GDP per capita, and food price index are pivotal determinants of food consumption in Kazakhstan. Two models were prepared: to predict food consumption on a national scale per capita per month, and to predict the percentage distribution of various food categories. The prediction of the percentage distribution of various food categories in Kazakhstan demonstrates the positive modelling quality indicators and strengthens the assumption that network modelling can be used. Predictions for total food consumption over the next three years indicate declining metrics, raising concerns about the potential food insecurity risk in Kazakhstan.

Assessing the Quality of Simulated Food Patterns with Reduced Animal Protein Using Meal Data from NHANES 2017-2018.

The nutritional consequences of progressively replacing meat products with plant-based foods need to be systematically evaluated. Modeling analyses provide insights into the predicted food consumption and nutritional adequacy of plant-based diets. We developed a novel methodology to simulate food patterns and evaluate diet quality. Meal data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 was used to create 100 7-day meal plans subject to various nutrient and food group optimization criteria. Omnivore (reference diet), flexitarian, pescatarian, and vegetarian food patterns were modeled using mixed integer linear programming. The modeled food patterns used the 25th and 75th percentiles of the US Usual Dietary Intakes to set the optimization constraints. The diet quality was determined using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015). The modeled vegetarian, pescatarian, and flexitarian food patterns outperformed the omnivore diet on the HEI-2015, with the vegetarian pattern achieving the highest score (82 for females, 78 for males). Modeled flexitarian patterns, with a 25 to 75% reduction in animal protein, offer viable options for those seeking to reduce but not eliminate their animal protein intake while supporting the transition from omnivore to fully plant-based diets. This methodology could be applied to evaluate the nutrient and diet quality of different dietary patterns with various constraints.

Predictors of food variety and food consumption scores of adolescents living in a rural district in Ghana.

There is a dearth of information about the food variety and consumption scores of adolescents in Ghana. This study assessed predictors of food variety and consumption scores of adolescents living in a rural district in Ghana. In this cross-sectional study, a multi-stage sampling method was used to select one hundred and thirty-seven (137) adolescents from the Asante-Akim South Municipality of Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on sociodemographic, food practices and dietary intakes of study participants. Descriptive, chi-square, T-test, partial correlation and binary logistic regression were used for the data analysis. The mean food variety score was 25.8±6.4 (range 7-42) and food consumption score was 35±5.1 (range 18.6-49.9). Food variety score was significantly (p<0.05) associated with guardian income status. A significant and positive partial correlation existed between food variety score and calcium intake (r = 0.236, p<0.05). About 49% and 51% of adolescents were food insecure and food secure, respectively. Food consumption score had significant association (p<0.05) with gender (X2 = 6.1), residence (X2 = 7.0), frequency of meal (X2 = 6.8) and food variety score (X2 = 5.4). Adolescent male (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI (1.2-4.6), p = 0.017), peri-urban residency (AOR = 2.1, 95%CI (1.0-4.4), p = 0.036), having three or more meals per day (AOR = 4.2, 95% CI (1.3-13.6), p = 0.018), and a high food variety score (AOR = 2.1, 95%CI (1.0-4.2), p = 0.041) significantly predicted food consumption scores. Moderate income status was associated with food variety score in our study participants. Linear relationship existed between food variety and calcium intake. Adolescent males, peri-urban residency, frequency of meals and high food variety score were the predictors of food consumption score. Nutrition-specific and nutrition sensitive programmes aimed at promoting adolescent health should involve guardians.

Effects of acute resistance exercise with different loads on appetite, appetite hormones and autonomic nervous system responses in healthy young men

Although the effect of continuous aerobic exercise on the appetite has been widely explored, the influence of resistance exercise (RE) with different variables, including training loads, training volume, and inter-set rest, on appetite responses requires further investigation. This study examined the importance of training load in RE-induced appetite regulation, with the total training volume and inter-set rest equalized. In total, 11 healthy young men (age = 23 ± 2 years, body mass index = 22 ± 2 kg/m2) were included. Participants completed 3 trials, namely moderate-load RE (MOD; 4 sets of 8 repetitions at 85% 8RM), low-load RE (LOW; 4 sets of 15 repetitions at 45% 8RM), and a control (CON; no exercise), in a randomized, crossover design. Subjective appetite ratings; concentrations of ghrelin, peptide YY (PYY), and lactate; and the autonomic nervous system activity were evaluated before exercise and 1 h after exercise. The hunger and predicted food consumption ratings, and ghrelin concentrations immediately after exercise were significantly lower in the MOD and LOW trials (p < 0.05 vs. CON). The PYY and lactate concentrations immediately after exercise were significantly higher in the MOD and LOW trials (p < 0.05 vs. CON). Heart rate variability recovery was slower in the MOD trial. These findings suggest that both moderate-load and low-load RE at equal training volumes and inter-set rest induce similar responses on hunger suppression and orexigenic signals, except for the slower recovery of autonomic modulation after moderate-load RE. Our results suggest that when individuals aim to potentiate appetite suppression after a bout of RE, both moderate- and low-load RE could be applied.

Women's income contribution and its effect on food consumption: An evidence from Aceh Province, Indonesia

Consumption of each society is closely related to micro and macro conditions, as the income received by each community will affect their lifestyle patterns. The higher the income, the greater the expenditure on food and non-food consumption. Women have considerable potential in contributing to income, especially in poor households, but women do not stand out and claim that they are the main support in providing the economy for the family. The purpose of this study is to analyse the effect of women's income in the short and long term and predict food consumption in Aceh Province in the future. The model analysis used in this study is a partial adjustment model with panel data from 23 cities/regencies in Aceh Province. The next step is to predict the level of consumption in each district and city, and make a regional analysis based on the geographical conditions of this province in four regional divisions to get an aggregate depiction of the differences in food consumption levels in each region. Regional development strategy should be made based on the estimation results and prediction of consumption levels and women's empowerment in development participation in this province in the future for food security development program.JEL Classification C53; D16; R10

Food consumption behavior, food supply chain disruption, and food security crisis during the COVID-19: the mediating effect of food price and food stress

ABSTRACT This research aims to examine how consumers’ consumption behaviors change in response to food supply chain disruptions and food security crisis during COVID-19. A new conceptual framework of consumer food stress and food consumption paradigms for crises is proposed based on the pillars of food security. This study also investigates the mediating effects of food prices and food stress on the proposed framework between pillars of food security and consumption behavior. A range of quantitative techniques was adopted for collecting the data during the COVID-19, with the sample of Bangladeshi consumers (n = 1150) generating a precise measurement. The study applied PLS-SEM (partial least squares-structural equation modeling) to predict food consumption behavior model and expose relevant relationships between all the constructs. Findings reveal that food access, food quality and safety, and food pricing directly impact consumer food stress and consumption behavior. Also, consumers’ consumption behavior is ultimately influenced by food stress. However, food availability has no significant influence on food stress. This research is one of the few empirical studies exploring a range of food security variables that helps explain why consumers are so anxious about food during COVID-19. This study discussed theoretical and practical implications that help food producers, suppliers, marketers, and policymakers maintain a stable food supply chain management and manage food crises during national emergencies.

Do perceived norms about Facebook users’ eating habits and preferences predict food consumption and BMI over time?

Do perceived norms about Facebook users’ eating habits and preferences predict food consumption and BMI over time?

Social-Psychological Factors in Food Consumption of Rural Residents: The Role of Perceived Need and Habit within the Theory of Planned Behavior.

To address the problem of malnutrition in poor rural areas of China, this study aims to examine the effects of social-psychological factors in food consumption of rural residents in poor counties of Southwest China. In addition, it investigates the role of perceived need and habit within the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in predicting food consumption. A survey with random sampling was conducted on rural residents (n = 424), and the theoretical frameworks of both the standard and extended TPB were applied for comparison purposes. Structural equation modeling was applied to test the relationships among constructs. Consumption of five food items was studied, respectively: meat, eggs, dairy, fish, and fruits. Results showed that incorporation of perceived need and habit substantially increased the explanatory power of the TPB, but these factors only had significant direct effects on intention rather than behavior. Perceived need and habit are stronger predictors of intention than any other TPB construct for consumption of all food items except for meat. We found indirect effects of the constructs in the extended TPB model on consumption to be different across food items. Practical implications to improve consumption of different food items were proposed accordingly.

Top-down guidance of attention to food cues is enhanced in individuals with overweight/obesity and predicts change in weight at one-year follow up

BackgroundChanging eating behaviour may be challenging for individuals with obesity and this may be related to attentional bias towards food. Previous paradigms used to assess attentional bias to food stimuli have not distinguished between bottom-up processes related to assessment of rewarding stimuli versus top-down processes related to effects of mind-set on attention. We investigated whether attentional bias for food cues varies between individuals with overweight/obesity and healthy weight individuals, due to differential top-down control of attention. We also determined whether top-down biases predict food consumption in the lab and weight change in our sample over one-year.MethodsForty-three participants with overweight/obesity and 49 healthy weight participants between the ages of 18 and 58 participated. Participants completed two attention tasks in a counterbalanced order: (i) a priming task assessing bottom-up control of attention and (ii) a working memory task assessing top-down control of attention. Eating behaviour was assessed by a taste test. At one-year follow-up participants returned to the laboratory to assess changes in their body mass index (BMI).ResultsThe healthy weight and overweight/obese groups did not differ in demographics and baseline measures (appetite, food liking, taste test food intake). Participants with overweight/obesity showed greater top-down attentional bias towards food cues than did healthy weight participants but had no difference in bottom-up attentional bias. Top down attentional bias towards food cues predicted weight change over one-year but did not predict food intake in the taste test.ConclusionsThe present findings illustrate that the relationship between attentional bias for food, food intake, and body weight is complex. Top-down effects of mind-set on attention, rather than bottom-up control of attention to food may contribute to patterns of eating that result in development and/or maintenance of overweight/obesity. Interventions targeted at top down biases could be effective in facilitating prevention of weight gain.

Implicit preference of sweets over fruit as a predictor of their actual consumption

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test if our eating behavior is determined not only by conscious evaluations of certain foods (explicit attitudes), but also by their automatic evaluations (implicit attitudes). Design/methodology/approach In two studies, the authors examined the predictive and incremental validity of these two types of attitudinal measures of eating behavior. Implicit attitudes were assessed with a standard implicit attitude test procedure (target categories were “sweets” and “fruit,” and attribute categories were “good” and “bad”); two explicit attitude measures were assessed: an explicit measure of preference for sweets over fruit and a semantic differential measure. The behavioral measure in Study 1 was the quantity of sweets consumed; in Study 2, it was a relative measure of sweets vs fruit consumption registered through a three-day diary. Findings The relatively low correlation between implicit and explicit attitude measures indicated that these measures at least partially tap into different processes. Implicit attitudes proved to be superior over explicit attitudes in predicting food consumption, especially for consumption registered via diary. This fact suggests that implicit attitudes are powerful drivers of long-term behavior. Practical implications The findings could be useful in tailoring interventions to promote healthier eating habits. Originality/value The research tested predictive power of implicit food-related attitudes. It compared the food consumption in laboratory and real-life settings. A new measure for daily food consumption was developed and it was calculated relative to recommended serving size.

Crave, Like, Eat: Determinants of Food Intake in a Sample of Children and Adolescents with a Wide Range in Body Mass.

Obesity is a heterogeneous condition with obese individuals displaying different eating patterns. Growing evidence suggests that there is a subgroup of obese adults that is marked by frequent and intense food cravings and addiction-like consumption of high-calorie foods. Little is known, however, about such a subgroup of obese individuals in childhood and adolescence. In the present study, a sample of children and adolescents with a wide range in body mass was investigated and trait food craving, liking for and intake of high- and low-calorie foods was measured. One-hundred and forty-two children and adolescents (51.4% female, n = 73; Mage = 13.7 years, SD = 2.25; MBMI-SDS = 1.26, SD = 1.50) completed the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait, then viewed pictures of high- and low-calorie foods and rated their liking for them, and subsequently consumed some of these foods in a bogus taste test. Contrary to expectations, higher body mass was associated with lower consumption of high-calorie foods. However, there was an interaction between body mass and trait food craving when predicting food consumption: in obese participants, higher trait food craving was associated with higher consumption of high-calorie foods and this association was not found in normal-weight participants. The relationship between trait food craving and high-calorie food consumption within obese individuals was mediated by higher liking for high-calorie foods (but not by liking for low-calorie foods). Thus, similar to adults, a subgroup of obese children and adolescents – characterized by high trait food craving – seems to exist, calling for specific targeted treatment strategies.

Doing the counter-regulation shuffle: The importance of flexibility and hunger for predicting food consumption following a preload

This study utilised the preload paradigm to evaluate whether trait-like dieting attitudes and behaviours (dietary restraint and flexibility in dieting rules) and context-specific factors (negative mood and hunger) predict food consumption among male and female participants. Following a high calorie preload, 79 participants aged 18-40 completed a deceptive taste test in which they were encouraged to eat as much of the taste test foods as desired, and this ad libitum intake was measured. Although each predictor (except negative mood) predicted consumption when tested individually, regression analyses revealed that dieting flexibility and current hunger were the strongest unique predictors of intake. Mood failed to directly predict food consumption, nor did it moderate the relationship between restraint and food intake. Collectively, findings suggest that emphasis on dietary restraint in preload studies may be misplaced, as other proximal and stable factors may better predict food consumption.

Do Counts of Salivary Sheath Flanges Predict Food Consumption in Herbivorous Stink Bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)?

ABSTRACT Counts of salivary sheaths and salivary flanges have been widely used in studies of feeding behavior and crop damage of pestiferous stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and other sheath-feeding Hemiptera. While salivary flanges can effectively predict crop damage by stink bugs, previous studies have assumed that food consumption (e.g., ingestion) and preference can also be inferred from flange data. Yet this assumption has remained untested. We investigated the relationship between the number of stink bug salivary flanges and consumption of cotton bolls for two important agricultural pest species: Nezara viridula (L.) and Euschistus servus (Say). We inferred food consumption rates from measures of relative growth rate and excreta quantity. To measure excreta, we quantified the color intensity, or chromaticity, of excreta using digital image analysis. We found a positive relationship between growth rate and the number of flanges for fifth instars of E. servus. However, we found no relationship bet...

Validation of a bio-energetic model for juvenile salmonids using growth data from a production-scale feeding study

The long-term goal of this project has been to develop a reliable and practical model that can be used to predict food consumption, growth, and waste by-product generation associated with hatchery reared juvenile salmonids. This process began with the earlier development and validation of a bioenergetic model using growth data from two independent laboratory-scale feeding studies. The efficacy of this model is extended here using data from a production-scale growth and feeding study. During the first phase of the current study (135 days), commercial feed was provided to four separate groups of coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). One group received satiation rations, the next group was fed excess rations, another group was fed at about 75% satiation, and the final group was fed a maintenance ration of about 50% satiation. During the next phase of the study (116 days), the coho that were grown on the excess rations during the first phase were provided a maintenance ration, and the original maintenance ration coho were fed to apparent satiation. The growth and proximate composition of the coho were measured approximately every two weeks during the entire study. Bioenergetic model calculations closely matched the measured growth data during both phases of the study following calibration for the maximum consumption and apparent respiration rate coefficients. The model performed equally well when the coho energy density was expressed either as a direct function of time or approximated with correlations with coho body weight. The strong performance of the model was first apparent when compared with independent laboratory-scale data. The proficiency of the model is demonstrated again here using production-scale growth data. These results support the contention that the bioenergetic model can be reliably used as a hatchery management tool to determine appropriate feeding levels, predict the growth of juvenile salmonids, and ultimately quantify the rate of waste by-product generation.

Healthy at Home, Unhealthy Outside: Food Groups Associated with Family and Friends and the Potential Impact on Attitude and Consumption

Two studies were conducted to investigate adolescents' tendency to associate healthy food with family and junk food with friends, at both an explicit and implicit level. Study 2 also explored whether family and peer influences on food attitudes and consumption can be exerted through these mere associations, testing the moderating effect of social identity. Overall, results confirmed that our participants tended to associate healthy food with family and junk food with friends, both deliberatively (at the explicit level) and automatically (at the implicit level). In addition, these mere associations predicted food consumption frequency, either directly (fruit-family) or indirectly through attitude (snacks-friends), for participants highly identified with the corresponding reference group. The present research contributes to a deeper understanding of the social meaning of food by focusing on the associations of different food types with different social contexts and provides suggestions for improving health ...

Reevaluation of lake trout and lake whitefish bioenergetics models

Using a corrected algorithm for balancing the energy budget, we reevaluated the Wisconsin bioenergetics model for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the laboratory and for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in the laboratory and in the field. For lake trout, results showed that the bioenergetics model slightly overestimated food consumption by the lake trout when they were fed low and intermediate rations, whereas the model predicted food consumption by lake trout fed ad libitum without any detectable bias. The slight bias in model predictions for lake trout on restricted rations may have been an artifact of the feeding schedule for these fish, and we would therefore recommend application of the Wisconsin lake trout bioenergetics model to lake trout populations in the field without any revisions to the model. Use of the Wisconsin bioenergetics model for coregonids resulted in overestimation of food consumption by lake whitefish both in the laboratory and in the field by between 20 and 30%, on average. This overestimation of food consumption was most likely due to overestimation of respiration rate. We therefore adjusted the respiration component of the bioenergetics model to obtain a good fit to the observed consumption in our laboratory tanks. The adjusted model predicted the consumption in the laboratory and the field without any detectable bias. Until a detailed lake whitefish respiration study can be conducted, we recommend application of our adjusted version of the Wisconsin generalized coregonid bioenergetics model to lake whitefish populations in the field.

Neither restrained eating nor tendency toward overeating predict food consumption after tension induction

The present study investigates whether the so-called disinhibition effect is better accounted for by tendency toward overeating than by restraint. The rationale was that in mood-induction studies, so far, the disinhibition effect has only been found in studies that applied the Restraint Scale and hardly ever in studies that used other restraint scales. Tension was induced by the public-speaking method in half of 86 female college students before they participated in an alleged taste test. The Restraint Scale (RS), the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ) and the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) were used to measure restraint and tendency toward overeating. No differences were found between the tension and the control condition as to the amounts of food the participants ate. Also no proof of the disinhibition effect was obtained and, remarkably, tendency toward overeating did not predict the amount of food eaten. Possible explanations for these results are offered in the discussion.

Effects of social influence on eating in couples, friends and strangers

Previous research indicates that both males and females eat less in the presence of a stranger of the opposite sex than in the presence of a same sex. Another literature shows that people tend to model or matching the amount eaten by others. The extent to which people are eager to inhibit their food consumption or match other's intake is likely to vary as a function of the characteristics of the co-eater. The present study examines how males and females adjust their level of eating as a function of their familiarity with and the gender of their eating companion, using a free-eating paradigm. Findings indicated that both the familiarity between co-eaters and the participants' gender predicted food consumption. Although unfamiliarity suppressed both men's and women's food intakes, the matching effect operated only when a female co-eater was involved. We conclude that the overarching motive (i.e., producing a positive impression) does not necessarily vary substantially across the various gender-familiarity combinations, but that the means or strategies (eating lightly and or matching of intake) by which the person accomplishes it and the strength of the motive vary as a function of the audience. In other words, in some social contexts self-enhancing motives can be served by restricting intake as well as through ingratiatory strategies such as attitudinal or behavioral conformity.

The benefits of authoritative feeding style: caregiver feeding styles and children's food consumption patterns

This research tested the associations between caregiver feeding styles and children's food consumption patterns among African–American (AA) and Hispanic (H) caregivers and their preschool children. Participants were 231 caregivers (101 AA; 130 H) with children enrolled in Head Start. Caregivers completed questionnaires on authoritarian and authoritative feeding styles (Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire; CFSQ) and various aspects of children's food consumption patterns (availability of, feeding attempts for, and child's consumption of dairy, fruit, and vegetables). Simultaneous multiple regression analyses tested the unique contribution of feeding styles in predicting food consumption patterns. Authoritative feeding was positively associated whereas authoritarian feeding was negatively associated with the availability of fruit and vegetables. Authoritative feeding was also positively associated with attempts to get the child to eat dairy, fruit, and vegetables, and reported child consumption of dairy and vegetables. Authoritarian feeding was negatively associated with child's vegetable consumption. All results remained significant after controlling for child's gender and body mass index (BMI), and caregiver's ethnicity, BMI, and level of education. Overall, results provide evidence for the benefits of authoritative feeding and suggest that interventions to increase children's consumption of dairy, fruit, and vegetables should be targeted toward increasing caregivers' authoritative feeding behaviors.

Evacuation of pelleted feed and the suitability of titanium(IV) oxide as a feed marker for gut kinetics in Nile tilapia

The present study assessed the suitability of titanium(IV) oxide, TiO2, as a digesta passage marker in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus and studied the shape of the evacuation curve in this species. In three separate trials, fish were given one dose of either 0·5, 0·25 or 0·1% of their body mass (% BME) of feed marked with 1% TiO2 or 0·5% BME of the same feed without marker. The fish were serially slaughtered at intervals after feeding and the stomach contents analysed for dry mass and marker content. The data for individual trials were analysed with the linear, square root, surface area and exponential evacuation models and parameter comparisons showed that, although the marker interfered slightly with the evacuation process, true meal size could be predicted more accurately from the marker data. The results of an analysis of the combined data sets suggested that stomach evacuation in this species is dependent more on food particle surface area (surface area model) than on stomach content mass (exponential model) as is generally assumed. On the basis of these results, it was concluded that TiO2 at an inclusion level of 1% is an acceptable marker for quantifying evacuation with a view to predicting food consumption but should be used with caution in digestibility studies.