Healthy Food Preferences Research Articles

Fungiform Papillae and Gustatory Function in Neurofibromatosis Type 1: A Case-Control Study.

Fungiform papillae enlargement is a common oral manifestation of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This study aimed to objectively evaluate the size, number, and symmetry of fungiform papillae in NF1 individuals and investigate the relationship between these alterations and taste perception, salivary flow, dietary habits, and BMI. A cross-sectional case-control study was conducted on 80 participants (40 with NF1 and 40 controls), matched by age and sex. Participants underwent quantitative and morphological evaluation of fungiform papillae, gustatory perception tests, sialometry, saliva analysis, xerostomia assessment, dietary assessments, and Body Mass Index calculations. The NF1 group exhibited significantly larger and more asymmetric fungiform papillae and exhibited a higher detection threshold for sweet and sour tastes, as well as hyposalivation and lower preference for healthy foods compared to the controls. No correlation was found between papillae morphology, gustatory perception tests, saliva properties, xerostomia, food preferences, or BMI in the NF1 group. Enlarged and asymmetric fungiform papillae, hyposalivation, heightened sensitivity to sweet and sour tastes, and reduced healthy eating habits were common in NF1. Although fungiform papillae alterations seem unrelated to taste sensitivity and food preferences, further investigation is needed to better understand the mechanisms underlying these changes.

Gender differences in adolescent food preferences and their association with parent food preferences: data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS).

Food preference is an important factor that affects one's eating behavior and dietary intake. Parent food preferences and food choices may influence children food preferences. This study is aimed to describe gender differences and time trends of Chinese adolescent food preferences and to explore the association between adolescent and their parent food preferences. The data were drawn from four waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) conducted between 2006 and 2015. Participants were asked to indicate their degree of preferences for five food categories (fast food, salty snack food, fruits, vegetables, and soft/sugary drinks) using a 5-point Likert scale (from "dislike very much" to "like very much"). Logistic regression was performed to determine the association of food preferences between adolescents and their parents. Adolescent preferences for unhealthy foods were significantly higher than those of adults. Adolescent food preferences for fruits and vegetables decreased slightly over nine years, and there were gender differences in healthy food preferences (girls > boys, P < 0.05). Regardless of boys or girls, adolescent food preferences for healthy foods (fruits and vegetables) were significantly associated with both their fathers (OR: 3.64-4.58 for boys and 2.71-4.39 for girls) and mothers (OR: 2.13-4.11 for boys and 3.07-5.66 for girls) food preferences. For fast food and salty snack food preferences, boys appeared to be influenced greater by their fathers than girls, while girls appeared to be influenced greater by their mothers than boys. The present study reveals a high degree of unhealthy food preferences among Chinese adolescents and a gender-specific association of fast food and salty snack preference between Chinese adolescents and their parents. Our results may be useful for interventions to reduce adolescent unhealthy food preferences and intakes.

Influence of eating while watching TV on food preference and overweight/obesity among adolescents in China: a longitudinal study.

Eating while watching TV was found associated with unhealthy food preferences and obesity in adolescents in foreign studies, which is not clear in China. The study aims to explore the influence of eating while watching TV on food preferences and overweight/obesity in Chinese adolescents. Data from 1768 adolescents (aged 12-17 years) in the 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015 China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) was analyzed. The height and weight were measured. Mixed effect models were used to identify the associations between eating while watching TV and adolescents' food preferences and overweight/obesity. Adolescents eating while watching TV ≥1 time/week were more likely to prefer fast food, salty snacks and soft drinks than those eating while watching TV <1 time/week. Adolescents eating meals while watching TV ≥1 time/week were less likely to prefer vegetables than those eating meals while watching TV <1 time/week. In addition, adolescents eating snacks while watching TV ≥1 time/week were more likely to be overweight/obesity than those eating meals while watching TV <1 time/week (odds ratio [OR] = 7.16; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.39-36.93). Eating snacks while watching TV was positively associated with adolescents' unhealthy food preferences and overweight/obesity. Eating meals while watching TV was associated with adolescents' unhealthy food preferences. Implementing web-based Community-based participatory research (CBPR) about reducing eating while watching TV may be a practical strategy to develop healthy food preferences and prevent overweight/obesity in Chinese adolescents.

Olfactory performance and odor liking are negatively associated with food neophobia in children aged between 3 and 9 years

BackgroundChild food neophobia, i.e., rejection or avoidance of novel foods at a young age, is a prevalent nutrition problem that affects the quality of children’s diet and impedes the development of healthy food preferences. Sensory sensitivity can relate to the degree of food neophobia, but previous studies rarely focused on the olfactory component of this problem in children.ObjectiveWe aimed to thoroughly examine the relationship between various aspects of olfactory sensitivity and food neophobia in children.Methods246 children aged between three and nine years took part in a food neophobia assessment as well as in a comprehensive, psychophysical olfactory testing.ResultsWe found that certain smell perception aspects such as lower odor liking, poorer odor identification ability as well as lower sensitivity to an unknown non-food odor all significantly predicted higher food neophobia in children. Among individual characteristics of either a child or a caregiver, only the child’s age significantly and positively predicted food neophobia. The exploratory model looking into the role of family environment factors predicting self-reported food neophobia in children revealed that food neophobia was associated with lower control given to a child in this child’s feeding process, as well as with a more frequent use of food as a reward in feeding.ConclusionsWe suggest that suppressed olfactory perception and performance can play a unique role in child nutritional difficulties. The study inspires further considerations of olfaction-engaging interventions to counteract food-neophobia in children.

Implicit attitudes toward obesity-related cues and their relation to body mass index, psychosocial functioning, and health behavior.

Differences in automatic cognitive processes exist among individuals with overweight and obesity, thus there is a need to expand our conceptualization of overweight and obesity to emphasize the predictive utility of these automatic processes, rather than focusing solely on behavioral outputs. Implicit association tests (IATs) may afford a noninvasive method of examining automatic preferences that might contribute to overweight and obesity; namely, preferences for unhealthy foods and sedentary behavior versus healthy foods and physical activity. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether implicit attitudes toward foods and physical activity differed based on body mass index (BMI) status. The relationships between implicit attitudes and key psychosocial factors and health behaviors were also examined. Participants (N = 127) included undergraduate students with an average age of 19.05 years old (SD = 1.52). Average BMI of the sample was 24.20 (SD = 4.93); 33.8% met criteria for overweight or obesity. Participants completed an IAT and questionnaires. There were no differences in implicit preferences based on BMI or BMI status. Overall, the sample demonstrated implicit preferences for healthy foods and active words, and preferences were not linked to the corresponding behavioral outputs, though preferences were linked to various indices of emotion and emotion regulation. Future research should explore an extended model to examine how implicit preferences might impact intentions to engage in protective versus risky obesity-related health behaviors, and the various psychosocial factors that might impact the translation of those preferences and intentions in actual behavioral outputs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

It makes me happy: anthropomorphism increases consumer preference for healthy food

PurposePeople frequently experience a conflict between immediate pleasure and long-term health when consuming healthy food. This study investigates how anthropomorphizing healthy food influences consumers’ sense of pleasure and their subsequent food preferences.Design/methodology/approachUsing different samples and food items, the authors conducted five online or laboratory studies to provide empirical support for the research hypothesis, rule out potential alternative explanations, and demonstrate boundary conditions.FindingsBy conducting five empirical studies involving self-reported and actual eating preferences, this study found that anthropomorphism increases consumer preference for and actual intake of healthy food. Such an anthropomorphism effect is driven by the increased positive affect evoked by anthropomorphism. However, this positive effect is suppressed for consumers who experience low trust in their affective feelings. Additionally, the effect is weakened when consumers readily attribute their affective feelings to a target-irrelevant source.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature on healthy consumption, anthropomorphism, and mood, revealing whether and how food anthropomorphism affects consumers. For marketers in the field of healthy food and relevant policymakers, anthropomorphic means can be employed, such as giving products human names, to enhance consumer preference for them. Moreover, anthropomorphizing can help alleviate consumers’ concerns about the relative lack of pleasurable taste in healthy foods and compensate for the lack of hedonic value that consumers may feel, thereby enhancing consumer welfare.HighlightsAnthropomorphism increases consumer preference for healthy food and actual intake of it.The anthropomorphism effect is driven by the increased positive affect evoked by anthropomorphism, through which affective feelings offer evaluative and decisional informativeness for judgments and decision-making.The positive effect of anthropomorphism is suppressed for consumers who experience low trust in their affective feelings.The anthropomorphism effect is weakened when consumers readily attribute their affective feelings to a target-irrelevant source.

Thinking fast, not slow: intuitive nutrition labels increase healthier food preferences under time pressure

PurposeFront-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labeling has attracted considerable attention in a wide range of communities. However, the limited effects of FOP nutrition labels on healthier food preferences have been reported. Drawing on the dual system theory, this study aimed to investigate which FOP nutrition labels increase healthier food preferences and when. Drawing on the dual-process theory, this study aimed to investigate the effects of Nutri-Scores on healthy food preferences under time pressure.Design/methodology/approachParticipants saw two food packages (healthier and less healthy) with either intuitive (nutrient score) or numeric FOP labels. They then had to choose one of their preferred products with or without time pressure.FindingsAcross two studies (including one pre-registered replication), the results consistently demonstrated that the Nutri-Score (vs numeric labels) increases healthier food preferences under time pressure. No significant difference in the likelihood of choosing healthier food was found between the labels under non-time pressure.Originality/valueTogether, our results suggest that intuitive FOP labeling (i.e. Nutri-Score) enhances healthier food preferences during Type 1 processing and provides practical implications for promoting healthy eating.

Thinking of food: The mental representation of healthy foods as unprepared

We find that people implicitly and explicitly represent healthy foods they categorize as healthy in their purest, least prepared forms but represent foods they categorize as unhealthy in their most prepared forms (e.g., a veggie patty is represented as frozen while a beef burger is represented in a bun with melted cheese and ready to eat). We find this effect across several studies using both image and word sorting measures in explicit tasks and implicit association tasks. The effect results from the perception of health and taste as two conflicting goals. Preparation (e.g., cooking, adding toppings) makes food more delicious, which creates categorization ambiguity. Hence, healthy food is thought of as unprepared. Indeed, individual differences in perceived health-taste goal conflict moderate the effect. Critically, the representation of healthy foods matters for food decisions. In an experiment that manipulated the descriptive language on a restaurant menu, emphasizing the preparation of foods increased participants’ preference for healthy foods (with no improvement for unhealthy foods).

Personality Traits and Healthy Eating Habits and Behaviors: A Narrative Review

‘Findings from many interdisciplinary studies have revealed the important roles of nutrition in improving people’s physical mental and social health. Among other factors, personality influences the type of food consumed and consequently is predictive of health-related state. The aim of this review is to appraise the available scientific evidence regarding the effect of personality on eating habits, and whether personality traits are associated with behaviors that are conductive to a healthy lifestyle in general. A total of 2237 relevant articles were identified through a literature search, 21 of which were included in this review. Articles involving studies in only children, animal studies, studies on eating disorders, studies with specific types of diets that were clearly unrelated to health issues and studies conducted for marketing purposes were excluded. A variety studies have indicated that personality traits affect both the eating habits and types of diets chosen by individuals, including the preference for healthy or unhealthy foods. The analysis of personality traits indicated that conscientiousness is associated with healthy eating and maintaining health-promoting habits in general. Openness is positively associated with variety in food consumption and negatively associated with "food neophobia". Agreeableness is associated with low meat consumption. Extraversion is associated primarily with the consumption of sweet and salty foods, meat and soft drinks. Finally, neurotic and emotionally unstable people appear to have emotional dietary patterns, which are associated with unhealthy eating habits, such as relatively low fruit and vegetable consumption, and high sugar and saturated fat consumption. However, contradictory results have been found among studies. Interpretation of these results should be weighed against the different cultural environments in which the studies were taken place, and the extremely high heterogeneity among the instruments used to measure personality and eating habits. Future research should clarify whether personality influences eating habits in specific populations, such as individuals with eating disorders.&#x0D; &#x0D; Received: 16 October 2023 / Accepted: 20 February 2024 / Published: 5 March 2024

The length of brand names influences the expectation of healthiness in foods and preference for healthy foods

AbstractAcross five studies (including one supplementary study), we demonstrate that the length of brand names influences the expectations of healthiness in foods and preference for healthy foods. Specifically, foods with shorter (vs. longer) brand names are perceived as healthier, and consumers prefer such foods. The perceived potency of names and expectations of healthfulness partially mediate the effect. Shorter (vs. longer) names are perceived as less potent; therefore, foods with such names are expected to be healthier, leading to a greater preference. Furthermore, the boundary condition (perceived potency of the brand names) is identified, where a positive effect of name length is not observed when the name includes more potent phonemes. Our findings contribute to the literature on healthy food branding and provide managerial implications for practitioners who are interested in promoting healthy foods.

P28-043-23 A Preschool Intervention for Healthy Food Preferences: Feasibility Study

P28-043-23 A Preschool Intervention for Healthy Food Preferences: Feasibility Study

Factors affecting consumer preference for healthy diet and functional foods

An inadequate diet and lifestyle are major causes of various diseases. A healthy diet can prevent diseases and maintain a good health status. The present research objective was to test young consumers for their preference for healthy diets and their intention to purchase functional foods, as well as to identify factors that affect their attitudes.&#x0D; The study involved 720 consumers (average 20 years old), a structured questionnaire, and a specially-developed scientific methodology. The results were grouped based on sex and body mass index. The analysis focused on the points where consumers’ interest in healthy diet overlapped with health-related diet needs and how each of them corresponded with their knowledge on the following spheres: nutrition and health risks, labelled data use in food choice, preference for foods fortified with vitamins, minerals, dietary fibers, or functional foods with a poor sensory quality. The data were processed using descriptive statistics, Z-test, and correlation tests.&#x0D; All the consumers demonstrated healthy diet preferences and a significant positive relationship (p &lt; 0.01) with the factors. They made an informed choice based on the labelled data and preferred foods fortified with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers, as well as functional products with a lower sensory quality. All respondents, regardless of sex and body mass index, demonstrated nutrition and health risk awareness. The health-related diet needs also affected their food preferences (p &lt; 0.05), with some exceptions.&#x0D; The young consumers possessed sufficient basic knowledge on food quality, nutrition, and health. Their attitudes depended on their preference for healthy diets and functional foods. The novel methodology can be applied to other studies of consumer preferences.

EEG Monitored Guided Meditation for Weight Loss Proving the Materializing Power of Subconscious Mind – Case Report

BACKGROUND: Our study discusses the use of hypnosis as a tool to regulate the subconscious mind, with some researchers viewing it as a form of top-down cognition. The aim of the study was to prove the connection between the subconscious mind and body weight by measuring weight loss caused by hypnosis. CASE PRESENTATION: The study involved a 25-year-old woman with a BMI of 48.8 kg/m2, who underwent two sessions of guided meditation and was monitored with EEG. Results showed a significant reduction in body weight after 2 weeks, and changes in EEG activity were observed, indicating better vigilance, self-esteem, and a positive state of mind. CONCLUSION: The study supports the hypothesis that the subconscious mind has materializing power, and the results suggest that turning bad habits into healthy activities and food preferences is related to subconscious productivity. The study could have a positive impact on the patient’s lifestyle.

Associations of parental feeding practices with children’s eating behaviors and food preferences: a Chinese cross-sectional study

BackgroundChildhood inadequate eating behaviors contribute to the epidemic of obesity. Previous research suggests that parental feeding practices are partially associated with development of eating behaviors among children, but the results are inconsistent. The present study was to investigate whether parental feeding practices were associated with eating behaviors and food preferences among Chinese children.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from 242 children (ages 7–12) in six-primary schools in Shanghai, China. A series of questionnaires including parental feeding practices and children’s eating behaviors have been validated, and were completed by one of parent who has responded for child’s daily diet and living. In addition, researchers instructed children to complete the questionnaire of food preference. After adjustment for children’s age, sex and BMI status, as well as parental education and family income, the linear regression analysis was used to evaluate relationships of parental feeding practices with children’s eating behaviors and food preferences.ResultsParents with boys had higher level of control overeating practice than those with girls. Mothers who responded to child’s daily diet and living and completed feeding practices questionnaire used a greater level of emotional feeding practices than fathers. Boys had higher levels of food responsiveness, emotional overeating, enjoyment of food and desire to drink than girls. Boys had different preferences for meat, processed meat products, fast foods, dairy foods, eggs, and snacks and starchy staples & beans from girls. In addition, scores of instrumental feeding practice and preference for meat significantly differed among children with different weight status. Furthermore, parental emotional feeding practice was positively associated with children’s emotional undereating (β 0.54, 95% CI 0.16 to 0.92). There were also positive associations of parental encouragement to eat with children’s preference for the processed meat (β 0.43, 95% CI 0.08 to 0.77). Moreover, instrumental feeding practice was negatively associated with children’s fish liking (β -0.47, 95% CI -0.94 to -0.01).ConclusionThe current findings support associations of emotional feeding practice with some children’s emotional undereating, as well as parental encouragement to eat and instrumental feeding practice related to preference for processed meat and fish, respectively. Further studies should continue to ascertain these associations using longitudinal designs, and to evaluate efficacy of parental feeding practices impacting developments of healthy eating behaviors and preferences for healthy foods among children by interventional studies.

Food habits among adolescent girls: A qualitative study in urban and peri-urban communities, Delhi, India

There are approximately 253 million adolescents in India, and their nutritional needs are high. Consumption of fast food, high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, is high among adolescents. Considering the lack of information on the knowledge and practices related to eating patterns among adolescents in India, this paper reports the practice, perception, and knowledge about healthy and unhealthy eating habits of this segment of its population in urban and peri-urban communities. Qualitative data were collected during the formative stage of an intervention study. Fifty in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions were conducted in two communities in Delhi, the national capital of India (28º 36’ 36” N &amp; 77º 13’ 48” E). For data analysis, a deductive approach was adopted, and a thematic content analysis was performed. Practices, perception and knowledge, and seeking information were the themes that emerged, and it was verified that low income is a limiting factor for acquisition at the family level. Cleanliness, hygiene, and taste are the factors when choosing the preparation of food. Strong perceptions about certain foods were observed: parents showed helplessness concerning the consumption of outside food by their children. Food bought in a restaurant is better and not as harmful, and adolescents prefer the taste to health. Preferences for healthy foods and the acceptance of food from large restaurants, and the preference for their tastes, have emerged as factors influencing adolescents' eating practices. In addition, the research revealed awareness and knowledge about healthy and unhealthy food among female adolescents and community members residing in low-socioeconomic status urban and peri-urban communities of Delhi. Several factors were found to influence the eating habits of Delhi female adolescents, such as taste, nutrition-related awareness, and self-efficacy (at the individual level), as well as parental and peer pressure (at the societal level). Nevertheless some methodological limitations, this study suggests behaviour change interventions among adolescents using the findings of the current study.

Hábitos alimentarios entre niñas adolescentes: un estudio cualitativo en comunidades urbanas y periurbanas, Delhi, India

There are approximately 253 million adolescents in India, and their nutritional needs are high. Consumption of fast food, high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, is high among adolescents. Considering the lack of information on the knowledge and practices related to eating patterns among adolescents in India, this paper reports the practice, perception, and knowledge about healthy and unhealthy eating habits of this segment of its population in urban and peri-urban communities. Qualitative data were collected during the formative stage of an intervention study. Fifty in-depth interviews and eight focus group discussions were conducted in two communities in Delhi, the national capital of India (28º 36’ 36” N &amp; 77º 13’ 48” E). For data analysis, a deductive approach was adopted, and a thematic content analysis was performed. Practices, perception and knowledge, and seeking information were the themes that emerged, and it was verified that low income is a limiting factor for acquisition at the family level. Cleanliness, hygiene, and taste are the factors when choosing the preparation of food. Strong perceptions about certain foods were observed: parents showed helplessness concerning the consumption of outside food by their children. Food bought in a restaurant is better and not as harmful, and adolescents prefer the taste to health. Preferences for healthy foods and the acceptance of food from large restaurants, and the preference for their tastes, have emerged as factors influencing adolescents' eating practices. In addition, the research revealed awareness and knowledge about healthy and unhealthy food among female adolescents and community members residing in low-socioeconomic status urban and peri-urban communities of Delhi. Several factors were found to influence the eating habits of Delhi female adolescents, such as taste, nutrition-related awareness, and self-efficacy (at the individual level), as well as parental and peer pressure (at the societal level). Nevertheless some methodological limitations, this study suggests behaviour change interventions among adolescents using the findings of the current study.

How the construal of power impacts healthy food preference: the mediating role of self-discipline perception

PurposeWith the improvement of consumers' health consciousness, healthy food has attracted great attention in daily consumption. Previous research into the sense of power often distinguishes it into high and low level, ignoring the impact of different construal of power on consumption behaviors. This article divides power into dual construal (responsibility vs opportunity) and aims to examine the differential impacts of the construal of power on healthy food preference.Design/methodology/approachTwo pretests and three formal experiments were conducted to examine the effect of the construal of power on the consumer's healthy food preference, the mediation of self-discipline perception and the moderation of the relative strength of prevention over promotion focus (i.e. RSPPF).FindingsResults indicate that individuals who construe power as responsibility (vs opportunity) exhibit higher self-discipline perception, which in turn leads to greater healthy food preference. However, the main effect above can be weakened among the low-power group. Moreover, the above mediating effect of self-discipline perception is stronger for individuals with higher RSPPF.Originality/valueFirst, based on the binary-construal perspective, this study refines the classification of high power and introduces it into the antecedent research of healthy food preference. Second, this paper reveals the self-discipline perception as the inner mechanism underlying the effect of the construal of power on healthy food preference, while RSPPF as the boundary condition for this mediating mechanism. Moreover, this research also provides practical implications for healthy food enterprises that the construal of power, self-discipline perception and regulatory focus should be taken into consideration in advertising design and healthy product promotion.

Poverty, price and preference barriers to improving diets in sub-Saharan Africa

Suboptimal diets are the most important preventable risk factor for the global burden of non-communicable diseases. The EAT-Lancet reference diet was therefore developed as a benchmark for gauging divergence from healthy eating standards. However, no previous research has comprehensively explored how and why this divergence exists in poorer countries undergoing nutrition transitions. This study therefore analyzes dietary patterns and drivers of the demand for nutritious foods using nationally representative household surveys from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. We show how barriers to dietary convergence stem from combinations of poverty, high relative food prices and weak preferences for some specific healthy foods. The article concludes by discussing interventions for strengthening consumer demand for healthy diets in Africa.

Nutrition Literacy of Overweight/Obese and Non-Overweight/Obese Turkish Women and Affecting Factors

Abstract Background Nutrition literacy is having the skills and abilities required to prepare food, make healthy food preferences, and understand its effects on health, environment, and economy. Inadequate nutrition literacy can lead to an unhealthy diet, overweight, or obesity. Along with inadequate nutrition literacy, gender is also a risk factor for obesity. In this regard, it is seen that women’s level of nutrition literacy has an important role in gaining healthy eating habits and preventing chronic diseases related to nutrition such as obesity. This study aims to determine the level of nutrition literacy of adult Turkish women and the factors affecting. Methods In this comparative descriptive research, 239 women were selected into 2 groups by their BMI, from Public Education Centers in Istanbul, Turkey, by using simple random sampling method. Data were collected using Introductory Characteristics Form and Adult Nutrition Literacy Assessment Tool. For statistical analysis, Pearson Chi-Square, Mann Whitney U and logistic regression were used. Results In the study, adequate numerical literacy and food label reading rates in overweight/obese women were found lower (p = 0.000) than non-overweight/obese women. It was found that the number of main meals increases the nutrition literacy level of non-overweight/obese women 2.628 times (p = 0.012). In the overweight/obese group, it was found that number of children (p = 0.040), waist circumference (p = 0.048), snack amount (p = 0.022) and Youtube usage (p = 0.041) increase nutrition literacy levels. Conclusions The nutrition literacy of both groups was found to be high. However it is highly affected by YouTube usage which provides a new perspective in terms of public health practices and policies. It is recommended for public health professionals to: • use social media platforms and provide evidence-based information • monitor the height, weight and BMI of individuals in the risk group • organize interventions to strengthen nutritional literacy Key messages • Adequate numerical literacy and food label reading sub-dimension mean scores of overweight/obese women was lower than the non-overweight/obese women. • Spending time on Youtube increases the nutrition literacy levels in overweight/obese women by 91,116 times which points to the relationship between nutritional literacy and social media use.

The suitability, acceptability, and feasibility of a culturally contextualized low-calorie diet among women at high risk for diabetes mellitus in Kerala: a mixed-methods study.

BackgroundNutritional therapy has been conventionally recommended for people with prediabetes as a method to delay or halt progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The extensive diversity in food culture and habits in India pose a challenge in devising a uniform low-calorie diet plan. Though there are a number of studies related to different diet therapies, there exists limited evidence on culturally contextualized low-calorie diet plans and their process in India. The objective of the study is to test the suitability, acceptability, and feasibility of a culturally contextualized low-calorie diet among women with high risk for T2DM in Kerala.MethodWe employed a four-stage equal-status sequential design for this study. Firstly, in-depth interviews (n = 10) were conducted to understand the modifiable and non-modifiable components of the usual diet for diabetes prevention. Secondly, we developed a low-calorie diet plan (1500 kcal per day) based on the local preferences and availability. Thirdly, we piloted the diet plan among 18 individuals in the community to know its acceptability. Fourthly, in-depth interviews were done (n = 4) among pilot participants to understand the feasibility of pursuing it through facilitators and barriers to implementing the diet plan.ResultsLow-calorie diet plan was suitable for this setting as the burden of diabetes is very high and the diet plan had dietary components similar to the usual diet. Though participants had an intrinsic motivation to follow a healthy lifestyle, several systemic challenges such as the high cost of healthy foods options (fruits and vegetables), rice addiction, and food preferences driven by peer pressure act as hurdles.ConclusionApart from culturally contextualizing the low-calorie diet, it is important that complementary strategic measures such as reorientation of the public distribution system and subsidizing fruit and vegetable production and cost are required for the suitability, acceptability, and feasibility of implementation.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13410-022-01134-8.