Food neophobia and its relationship with dietary variety and quality in Irish adults: findings from a national cross-sectional study

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common systemic diseases in childhood which predisposes the patient to serious short-term and long-term complications, affecting all body systems. Taste and olfactory impairments were first described a long time ago in adult patients affected by diabetes (both type 1 and type 2 diabetes). However, studies evaluating taste perception, behavioral attitudes (e.g., food neophobia), and preferences toward foods in children and adolescents affected by T1D are globally lacking. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess taste sensitivity, food neophobia, and preferences among children and adolescents affected by T1D and healthy controls in a cross-sectional study. T1D patients presented a significantly lower ability in general to correctly identify taste qualities, especially bitter and sour tastes. Moreover, they were characterized by fewer fungiform papillae compared to controls, as well as a lower responsiveness to the bitter compound 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP). There were no significant differences in food neophobia scores between the two groups, but differences were observed in the mean hedonic ratings for some product categories investigated. Diabetic patients showed a greater liking for certain type of foods generally characterized by sourness and bitterness, an observation probably linked to their impaired ability to perceive taste stimuli, e.g., sourness and bitterness. These results may help to enhance the understanding of these relationships in populations with elevated diet-related health risks.

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Gender, Age, Geographical Area, Food Neophobia and Their Relationships with the Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet: New Insights from a Large Population Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12061778 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (6) ◽

pp. 1778 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stefano Predieri ◽

Fiorella Sinesio ◽

Erminio Monteleone ◽

Sara Spinelli ◽

Marta Cianciabella ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Large Population ◽

Health Benefits ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Soft Drinks ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Potential Health ◽

Food Neophobia ◽

The Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with many health benefits. The association between the MD and food neophobia (FN) is still unexplored in adults. The present cross-sectional study was aimed to explore the relationships between adherence to the MD, FN, and sociodemographic variables in a large Italian cohort. Familiarity and frequency use (FFI) of prototypical and non-prototypical Mediterranean foods were used to calculate a new adherence index: the Italian Taste Mediterranean Index (ITMI). The FFI of all Mediterranean foods increased with age, while butter, soft drinks, red/cured meat, and sweets were more common in younger people. Accordingly, ITMI increased with age (F2,2384 = 54.11; p < 0.0001). Women recorded a higher ITMI (6.70) than men (6.10). Individuals with high FN showed higher FFI for soft drinks and sweets and lower ones for most typical MD foods, than individuals with low FNs. A decrease of ITMI was recorded with the increase of the FN(F2,2384 = 22.84; p < 0.0001). With ageing, ITMI increased even in individuals with a high FN. The results suggest that FN may negatively affect adherence to the MD, lowering its potential health benefits, in the adult population. Monitoring of food habits, dietary education, and anxiety management, may be valuable tools to control FN and support the adherence to the MD.

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Lower dietary variety is a relevant factor for malnutrition in older Japanese home-care recipients: a cross-sectional study

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-019-1206-z ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Taeko Tsuji ◽

Kaoru Yamamoto ◽

Kazuyo Yamasaki ◽

Fumikazu Hayashi ◽

Chika Momoki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Home Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Relevant Factor ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dietary Variety ◽

Care Recipients

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Association Between Oral Frailty and Dietary Variety Among Community-Dwelling Older Persons: A Cross-Sectional Study

The journal of nutrition health & aging ◽

10.1007/s12603-020-1538-6 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Daichi Hoshino ◽

H. Hirano ◽

A. Edahiro ◽

K. Motokawa ◽

M. Shirobe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Persons ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dietary Variety ◽

Oral Frailty

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Frailty Severity and Dietary Variety in Japanese Older Persons: A Cross-Sectional Study

The journal of nutrition health & aging ◽

10.1007/s12603-018-1000-1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 451-456 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

K. Motokawa ◽

Yutaka Watanabe ◽

A. Edahiro ◽

M. Shirobe ◽

M. Murakami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Persons ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dietary Variety

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Food neophobia in Lebanese children: scale validation and correlates

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980021000082 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Rayane El Mouallem ◽

Diana Malaeb ◽

Marwan Akel ◽

Souheil Hallit ◽

Marie-Claude Fadous Khalife

Keyword(s):

Scale Validation ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Factor Solution ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Neophobia ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Sphericity Test ◽

The Mean ◽

Variance Explained

Abstract Objective: To validate the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS) and determine factors associated with the presence of food neophobia (FN) in a sample of Lebanese children. Design: Cross-sectional study conducted between July and December 2019. Setting: All Lebanese governorates. Participants: Parents of Lebanese children aged 2 to 10 years. Results: Out of 850 questionnaires, 194 were excluded. The mean age of children was 5·34 ± 2·20 years (50·8 % females); 238 (36·4 %) had low neophobia scores (≤37), whereas 219 (33·5 %) and 197 (30·1 %) had, respectively, moderate (between 38 and 41) and severe neophobia scores (≥42). All items of the FNS were extracted except item 8 and yielded a two-factor solution with Eigenvalues > 1 (variance explained = 51·64 %; Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin (KMO) test = 0·746; Bartlett’s sphericity test P < 0·001; αCronbach = 0·739). Children who refused initially to eat vegetables (β = 5·51), fish (β = 4·57), fruits (β = 4·75) or eggs (β = 2·99) and higher parents’ instrumental feeding scores (β = 0·3) were significantly associated with higher neophobia scores, whereas higher parents’ encouragement scores (β = -0·21) were significantly associated with lower neophobia scores in children. Conclusion: FN is common in children. Neophobic children tend to have lower variety in their diets. One of the ways to lower the levels of neophobia is the use of encouragement by the parents. In contrast, offering a reward to children for them to eat a certain food was associated with more signs of avoidance. More studies should be conducted to evaluate awareness levels concerning FN.

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