‘Buying Salad Is a Lot More Expensive than Going to McDonalds’: Young Adults’ Views about What Influences Their Food Choices

Young adults (18–30 years of age) are an ‘at-risk’ group for poor dietary behaviours and less healthy food choices. Previous research with young adults has looked at the barriers and enablers driving their food choices, focusing primarily on university and college students. However, there is less research using qualitative methods with young adults as a broader population group. This study aimed to explore the experiences of young adults in two different yet similar settings: Sydney, Australia and Glasgow, Scotland. Eight focus groups of young adult participants, ranging in size from 2–6 participants, were held in Sydney, Australia (n = 14) and Glasgow, Scotland (n = 16) to discuss, explore and compare the determinants and influences of their food choices. Focus group transcripts were coded thematically based on a process of narrative analysis. Three major narratives were identified across both locations: value of food; appeal of food; and emotional connections with food. These narratives were underpinned by a broader narrative of ‘performing adulthood.’ This narrative reflected a belief amongst participants that they should make rational, informed choices about food despite this conflicting with their broader food environment. Future research could examine which environment-level or policy-based interventions are most acceptable to young adults in terms of influencing their food choices and dietary behaviours.

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Enhancing healthy eating patterns among Hong Kong young adults

Health Promotion International ◽

10.1093/heapro/daz018 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 386-396

Author(s):

Sin Tung Kwok ◽

Sandra Capra ◽

Michael Leveritt

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Hong Kong ◽

Secondary School ◽

Food Environment ◽

Ecological Model ◽

Tertiary Education ◽

Food Choices ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Healthy Food ◽

Eating Patterns

Abstract Every year, the majority of Hong Kong young adults who graduate from secondary school progress onto tertiary education. Poor eating patterns among young adults could lead to long-term health implications associated with overweight and obesity. Using the socio-ecological model as a theoretical framework, this paper reviews the current food-related policies in Hong Kong and proposes a comprehensive policy approach relevant to a variety of organizational contexts that has the potential to support positive eating patterns among young adults by enhancing the local food environment. Hong Kong has an unusual food supply in that more than 95% of food is imported, making it vulnerable to food insecurity. Education interventions commonly conducted in Hong Kong are unlikely to be helpful because young adults acquire nutrition-related knowledge when they attend secondary school. There is a need to change the food environment in Hong Kong so that young adults can easily translate their nutrition knowledge into making healthy food choices. Policy approaches might be among the most effective strategies for bringing positive changes in eating patterns because they have the potential to directly influence the food environment and context where an individual lives. A comprehensive suite of approaches that fill the policy gaps, remove barriers of healthy food consumption and create more healthy food choices is required to improve diet and health.

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Children's Perceptions of Healthful Eating and Physical Activity

Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research ◽

10.3148/71.1.2010.19 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 71 (1) ◽

pp. 19-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Jennifer Lisa Penner Protudjer ◽

Gail Marchessault ◽

Anita Luba Kozyrskyj ◽

Allan Barry Becker

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Food Choices ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

High Fat ◽

Children's Perceptions ◽

Children’S Perceptions ◽

Dietary Behaviours ◽

Interview Guide ◽

Purposeful Selection ◽

Common Barriers

Purpose: Healthful lifestyle habits established in childhood may continue through adulthood. Such habits may also be effective in preventing or reversing overweight and obesity. However, little is known about children's perceptions of healthful eating and physical activity. Thus, we sought a better understanding of how children perceive healthful eating and physical activity. Methods: A purposeful selection was made of Winnipeg, Manitoba, boys (n=23) and girls (n=22) aged 11 to 12 years. The children were interviewed using a semi-structured, indepth interview guide. Data were analyzed using thematic coding. Results: Although healthful eating was seen as necessary for health, high-fat, high-sugar foods were a source of pleasure and enjoyed during social times. Physical activity was a way of spending time with friends, either through active play or watching sports. Boys viewed screen time and homework as barriers to physical activity, while girls identified no common barriers. Children viewed physical activity as easier than healthful eating, describing the former as “play” and “fun.” Conclusions: Knowing how children think about food choices will further our understanding of the disconnect between nutrition knowledge and dietary behaviours. Understanding conflicting pressures that influence children's healthful lifestyles may enhance communication about these topics among parents, educators, and children.

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The influence of supraliminal priming on energy density of food selection: a randomised control trial

BMC Psychology ◽

10.1186/s40359-021-00554-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Isabelle Schlegel ◽

Sharon A. Carstairs ◽

Gozde Ozakinci

Keyword(s):

General Population ◽

Lower Energy ◽

Food Selection ◽

Food Choices ◽

Randomised Control Trial ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

The Moment ◽

Overweight Adults ◽

University Athletes

Abstract Background Many people exercise because they know it is good for their health. Although this is true, it can make us feel deserving of a reward and lead us to eat more indulgent, less healthy food than if we had not done any exercise. Generally, lower energy-dense (LED) foods are recognised as healthier choices than higher energy-dense (HED) options. Despite our intention to make healthy choices, seeing tempting higher-calorie foods on offer often side-tracks us. Priming is a psychological tool that makes specific changes to our environment that remind us of our motivation to be healthy. This makes it easier to choose a healthier option, by nudging us towards it without us even realising. However, it is currently unclear which method of priming achieves the best results. Aims Our study explores whether priming people to expect they will receive LED food leads them to make this healthier choice after exercise, even when also offered tempting less healthy HED foods at the moment of selection. Methods Our study observed the foods selected by university athletes after their sports matches. Before the match, half of the participants were primed by asking them to choose a LED snack from the options we offered, which they would receive after the match. The remaining half of participants were not asked this same question. To distract the athletes from our observation of their food choices, participants completed a task prior to choosing their snack, which was disguised as a ‘thank you’ for taking part. Results Overall, we found the priming group did not choose LED foods significantly more than the control group, hence priming did not increase LED food selection. Conclusion Importantly, our results indicate that priming must be more noticeable to achieve its goal. Additionally, we demonstrated that priming may be less successful for young athletic individuals, compared to older and more overweight adults recruited in other studies. This highlights the importance of studying a broader demographic range of individuals from the general population. We support future research into this area, which will help us to tweak priming to achieve the best outcomes. Trial registration ISRCTN Registry, ISRCTN74601698. Date registered: 02/10/2020 (retrospectively registered).

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Women’s perceptions of factors influencing their food shopping choices and how supermarkets can support them to make healthier choices

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11112-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Preeti Dhuria ◽

Wendy Lawrence ◽

Sarah Crozier ◽

Cyrus Cooper ◽

Janis Baird ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthy Eating ◽

Personal Responsibility ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Food Choices ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Future Research ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Telephone Interviews ◽

Food Shopping ◽

Women’S Perceptions

Abstract Objectives To examine women’s perceptions of factors that influence their food shopping choices, particularly in relation to store layout, and their views on ways that supermarkets could support healthier choices. Design This qualitative cross-sectional study used semi-structured telephone interviews to ask participants the reasons for their choice of supermarket and factors in-store that prompted their food selections. The actions supermarkets, governments and customers could take to encourage healthier food choices were explored with women. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify key themes. Setting Six supermarkets across England. Participants Twenty women customers aged 18–45 years. Results Participants had a median age of 39.5 years (IQR: 35.1, 42.3), a median weekly grocery spend of £70 (IQR: 50, 88), and 44% had left school aged 16 years. Women reported that achieving value for money, feeling hungry, tired, or stressed, and meeting family members’ food preferences influenced their food shopping choices. The physical environment was important, including product quality and variety, plus ease of accessing the store or products in-store. Many participants described how they made unintended food selections as a result of prominent placement of unhealthy products in supermarkets, even if they adopted more conscious approaches to food shopping (i.e. written or mental lists). Participants described healthy eating as a personal responsibility, but some stated that governments and supermarkets could be more supportive. Conclusions This study highlighted that in-store environments can undermine intentions to purchase and consume healthy foods. Creating healthier supermarket environments could reduce the burden of personal responsibility for healthy eating, by making healthier choices easier. Future research could explore the interplay of personal, societal and commercial responsibility for food choices and health status.

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Knowledge Gaps in Understanding the Etiology of Anemia in Indonesian Adolescents

Food and Nutrition Bulletin ◽

10.1177/0379572120979241 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 42 (1_suppl) ◽

pp. S39-S58

Author(s):

Kesso Gabrielle van Zutphen ◽

Klaus Kraemer ◽

Alida Melse-Boonstra

Keyword(s):

Current Knowledge ◽

Vitamin A Deficiency ◽

Public Health Problem ◽

Population Group ◽

Future Research ◽

Folic Acid Deficiency ◽

Knowledge Gaps ◽

Local Conditions ◽

Etiological Factors ◽

Infection And Inflammation

Background: Anemia is a public health problem among adolescents in Indonesia. Strategies to prevent or treat anemia should be tailored to local conditions, taking into account its specific etiology and prevalence in a given setting and population group. Objective: This review aims to (1) identify and synthesize the current knowledge on the etiology of anemia among adolescents in Indonesia, (2) reveal knowledge gaps in this area, and (3) suggest directions for future research and programmatic work. Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, and WorldCat databases for peer-reviewed journal articles to identify which etiological factors were related to anemia among Indonesian adolescents. Research papers were reviewed and included in the review according to inclusion criteria. Results: Of 13 studies, 8 showed that anemia was associated with iron deficiency; 4 are suggestive of vitamin A deficiency; and 2 of folic acid deficiency. Five studies underscore different etiological determinants for anemia, such as malaria, protein and energy malnutrition, vitamin B2 deficiency, calcium, and vitamin C deficiency. Based on these findings, we developed a framework on knowledge gaps on the etiology of anemia among adolescents in Indonesia, divided in 3 levels of knowledge: (1) significant knowledge gaps, (2) knowledge gaps, and (3) established knowledge. Conclusions: The knowledge gaps around the etiology of anemia among Indonesian adolescents are significant. Our framework emphasizes the need for further research across all etiological factors, namely inadequate nutritional intake and absorption, genetic hemoglobin disorders, infection and inflammation, and menstrual disorders.

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Enhancing Internet Search Abilities for People with Intellectual Disabilities in Sri Lanka

ACM Transactions on Accessible Computing ◽

10.1145/3460202 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 1-36

Author(s):

Theja K. Arachchi ◽

Laurianne Sitbon ◽

Jinglan Zhang ◽

Ruwan Gamage ◽

Priyantha Hewagamage

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Sri Lanka ◽

Visual Memory ◽

Web Search ◽

Future Research ◽

Learning Needs ◽

Learning Tools ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Starting Point ◽

Google Search

This article presents how young adults with intellectual disability (ID) from Sri Lanka, who had not previously used the Internet, interacted with Google search while enhancing their web search abilities throughout three web search workshops. Considering the little attention paid to the learning needs of people with ID in the current offering of web search learning tools, we iteratively developed a suite of learning tools to support our participants when they need help in the web search workshops. We employed an iterative participatory approach, with observations and semi-structured interviews, to reflect on how to design eLearning tools that enhance the participants’ interactions with web search. The qualitative thematic analysis resulted in five distinct themes on strategies to support, build on, and develop the abilities of young adults with IDs as they engage with Google search in their native language: application of existing abilities, basic skills to match learning needs, conceptual understanding, animations to facilitate visual memory, and promoting active engagement. These themes will be a starting point for understanding participants’ learning needs and behavior on web search, which would be important for future research on learning support as well as on software design.

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The Association Between Problem Recognition, Race/Ethnicity, and Professional Help-Seeking Intentions Across Psychological Disorders

Emerging Adulthood ◽

10.1177/21676968211000491 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 216769682110004

Author(s):

Ayanda Chakawa ◽

Steven K. Shapiro

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Young Adults ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

The United States ◽

Psychological Disorder ◽

Future Research ◽

Problem Recognition ◽

Professional Help ◽

Race Ethnicity

While 75% mental health problems emerge by young adulthood, there is a strong reluctance during this developmental stage to seek professional help. Although limitations in mental health literacy, such as incorrect problem recognition, may hinder professional help-seeking intentions, the relationship between these variables has been understudied among young adults in the United States (U.S.) and racial/ethnic differences in help-seeking intentions for specific disorders have not been well explored. Using a vignette-based design, the current study examines the association between psychological disorder recognition and professional help-seeking intentions among 1,585 Black/African American and White/European American young adults. Correctly identifying a psychological disorder was significantly associated with intentions to seek professional help for several disorders and race/ethnicity significantly influenced intentions to seek professional help for some disorders. Implications for ways to address unmet mental health care needs, especially among racially/ethnically diverse young adults, and directions for future research are discussed.

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Menu Engineering and Dietary Behavior Impact on Young Adults’ Kilocalorie Choice

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13072329 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (7) ◽

pp. 2329

Author(s):

Christine Bergman ◽

Yuan Tian ◽

Andrew Moreo ◽

Carola Raab

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Weight Status ◽

Food Choices ◽

Normal Weight ◽

Design Stage ◽

Calorie Intake ◽

Independent Variables ◽

Menu Design ◽

The Relationship ◽

Overweight Subjects

The obesity pandemic is associated with increased consumption of restaurant food. Labeling of menus is an intervention used to provide consumers with kilocalorie (calorie) information in hopes of them making healthier food choices. This study evaluated the relationship between young adults’ calorie choices on restaurant menus and menu design, dietary behaviors, and demographic characteristics. A 3 (fast-casual restaurants) × 4 (menu-designs based on menu engineering theories) between-subjects (n = 480, 18–24-year olds) experimental design was used. The relationship between the participants’ calorie choices (high versus low) and menu design, stage of change, gender, race, educational level and weight status was evaluated using logistic regression. All independent variables had at least one category that had greater odds (CI 95% ± 5%) of subjects choosing a lower calorie entree, except education level and race/ethnic group. Normal weight and overweight subjects had greater odds of choosing lower calorie entrees than those that were obese. In addition, subjects that had started to control their calorie intake for less than six months or had sustained this change for at least six months, had greater odds of choosing lower calorie entrees compared to others. Including a green symbol and calories on fast casual restaurant menus may influence some young adults to choose lower calorie entrees.

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