scholarly journals The Role of Supportive Food Environments to Enable Healthier Choices When Eating Meals Prepared Outside the Home: Findings from Focus Groups of 18 to 30-Year-Olds

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Allman-Farinelli ◽  
Hassan Rahman ◽  
Monica Nour ◽  
Lyndal Wellard-Cole ◽  
Wendy L. Watson
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Urban Residence ◽  
Price Discounts ◽  
Special Occasion ◽  
Eating Out

Young adults are the highest consumers of food prepared outside home, which has been linked to weight gain. The aim of this qualitative research was to gather opinions from young adults about what influences their food choice when eating out and if they so desired, what might enable healthy choices. Thirty-one adults aged 18 to 30 years participated in four focus groups (females = 24). Predetermined questions were used to guide discussions which were audiotaped then transcribed. The content was organized into themes and sub-themes using NVivo software. Two broad groupings arose—personal behaviors and changes to physical and social food environments. For many, eating out was viewed as a special occasion so that healthy food was not a priority and despite understanding health consequences of poor diets this was not an immediate concern. Price discounts and menu-labelling were suggested and trust in credible organizations and peers’ endorsement of meals and venues expressed. The role of smartphones in the modern food environment emerged as a tool to enable immediate access to many restaurants to order food and access reviews and social media as a source of persuasive food imagery. Current menu-labelling initiatives should continue, food pricing be explored and influence of smartphones on diet further researched. However, these findings may be limited by the high proportion of women and higher socioeconomic status and urban residence of many participants.

scholarly journals ‘It’s Hard to Make Good Choices and It Costs More’: Adolescents’ Perception of the External School Food Environment

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1043
Author(s):  
Colette Kelly ◽  
Mary Callaghan ◽  
Saoirse Nic Gabhainn
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Discussion Groups ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
School Food ◽  
Price Discounts ◽  
Food Outlets ◽  
School Food Environment ◽  
The Impact

Research on the impact of school and community food environments on adolescent food choice is heavily reliant on objective rather than subjective measures of food outlets around schools and homes. Gaining the perspective of adolescents and how they perceive and use food environments is needed. The aim of this study was to explore adolescent’s perception and use of the food environment surrounding their schools. Purposive sampling was used to recruit schools. Mapping exercises and discussion groups were facilitated with 95 adolescents from six schools. Thematic analysis showed that adolescents are not loyal to particular shops but are attracted to outlets with price discounts, those with ‘deli’ counters and sweets. Cost, convenience and choice are key factors influencing preference for food outlets and foods. Quality, variety and health were important factors for adolescents but these features, especially affordable healthy food, were hard to find. Social factors such as spending time with friends is also an important feature of food environments that deserves further attention. Adolescents’ perceptions of their food environment provide insights into features that can be manipulated to enable healthy choices.

Youth Speak Out on School Food Environments

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-202
Author(s):  
Kelsey Gangemi ◽  
Roxanne Dupuis ◽  
Elizabeth FitzGerald ◽  
Rosemary Frasso ◽  
Sara Solomon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
School Personnel ◽  
School Nurses ◽  
Photo Elicitation ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
School Food ◽  
Vending Machines ◽  
Student Input

In Philadelphia, over 40% of youth are overweight or obese. The objective in this assessment was to learn about urban residents’ perspectives regarding the local food environment and its impact on eating behaviors. Using photo-elicitation, 20 adolescents reflected on their food environments through photographs and corresponding interviews. Without specific prompting from interviewers, every participant raised concerns about their school food environments, which they commonly found to be unhealthy and unappealing. Participants’ responses reflected four themes: (1) mixed reviews regarding the healthfulness of school vending machines, (2) lunch from home versus lunch from school, (3) factors that influenced food choice at school, and (4) critiques of school food environments. Students embraced the photo-elicitation approach as a way to convey their concerns and to suggest opportunities for improvements. School nurses, who are trusted by students and school personnel, are well-positioned to solicit student input and advocate for healthier school food environments.

scholarly journals Children-and-Partner's Food Preferences and Role of Woman as Caregiver: Key Elements of Food Choice Linked to Social Environment in a Consumer Population of Hermosillo City

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 174-174
Author(s):  
Ana Contreras Navarro ◽  
Paulina Blanco Cervantes ◽  
Alma Contreras Paniagua ◽  
Gloria Portillo Abril ◽  
Guadalupe Álvarez Gordillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Consumer Population ◽  
Community Food Environment

Abstract Objectives The main objective was to identify determinants of food choice linked to the community food environment in a marginalized consumer population in the city of Hermosillo, Mexico. The specific objectives were to develop group interviews with women and to frame the data analysis within the field of research in food and nutrition security. Methods In this qualitative study design, we employed the focus group technique to ask participants “How do you decide which foods to obtain for your family's diet?”. To investigate further we asked, “What are those reasons that explain the selection of those foods?” Women who regularly attended a community center localized in a neighborhood with a very high grade of urban marginalization participated in the focus groups. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and three distinct methods were used to perform analysis: (1) content analysis (2) data organization, using software QSR NVivo, in relation to five dimensions of food and nutrition security: affordability, accessibility, acceptability, food quality, and care; and (3) triangulation between five co-authors (A.C.N., P.B.C., A.D.C.P., G.E.P.A., and M.I.O.V.). Results From May to November of 2019, four focus groups were conducted by a single facilitator in two community centers of Hermosillo (n = 27 participants). Reasons that explained the participant's food choices within the community food environment and that showed the highest number of mentions in the interviews were identified in relation to acceptability factors: children's food preferences, partner's food preferences, all household-members’ food preferences. The following extract reflects the main study findings: “When I can't do a certain thing it is because it's very expensive, but if there is a way, even if it's a little… for example, my middle-aged son really likes peppers and he eats them alone. So, I know that when I go to the store, I have to bring at least one, for him to eat other things.” Conclusions The study of food choice in this group of women denotes that their role as caregiver of food and nutrition in relation to their children-and-partner's food preferences are key elements of food decision-making processes, preceding the socioeconomic factors and constraints, they certainly face. Funding Sources Institutional small grant C.I.A.D., A.C.

scholarly journals Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Experiences in Youth With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Depression: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Qualitative Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatjana Ewais ◽  
Jakob Begun ◽  
Maura Kenny ◽  
Alan Headey ◽  
Steve Kisely
Keyword(s):  
Inflammatory Bowel Disease ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Bowel Disease ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Inflammatory Bowel

BACKGROUND Mindfulness-based programs are increasingly used as a part of integrated treatment for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the majority of research has been quantitative with limited qualitative exploration of patients’ experiences of mindfulness programs and no studies among adolescents and young adults with IBD. Furthermore, there has been a paucity of research exploring the role of common psychotherapy and group factors within mindfulness programs. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explore the experiences of adolescents and young adults with IBD and depression who completed a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) group program, as well as the role of therapeutic alliance, group affiliation, and other common psychotherapy and group factors. METHODS This mixed methods qualitative study, nested within a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of MBCT for adolescents and young adults with IBD, will obtain qualitative data from focus groups and open-ended survey questions. The study aims to conduct three to four focus groups with 6-8 participants in each group. It will employ data and investigator triangulation as well as thematic analysis of the qualitative data. RESULTS The study was approved by the Mater Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee and recruitment commenced in May 2019; study completion is anticipated by early 2020. CONCLUSIONS The study will contribute to the assessment of acceptability and feasibility of the MBCT program for adolescents and young adults with IBD. It will also elucidate the role of previously unexplored common psychotherapy and group factors within mindfulness training and help inform the design of a future large-scale RCT of MBCT in this cohort. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ACTRN12617000876392; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=373115 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR PRR1-10.2196/14432

scholarly journals Our Daily Communicative Contexts: More Evidence for the Food Environment Puzzle

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-514
Author(s):  
Eulàlia P. Abril ◽  
Carrie O’Connell
Keyword(s):  
News Media ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Communication Effects ◽  
Nationally Representative

Much of the research on food environments suggests that problematic access to healthy food restricts its consumption, contributing to adverse outcomes such as obesity, stroke, and heart disease. In addition to these direct relationships, we propose indirect relationships involving the Communication Mediation Model (CMM). Using nationally representative survey data from 1435 adults in the United States, we explore the multipronged role that perceived food environments play in shaping communication, attitudes, and reflective food consumption, considering communicative contexts. Results indicate a negative correlation between the perception of a difficult food environment and reflective consumption, supporting prior research. Most importantly, the food environment is also negatively correlated with news media use, discussion, and attitudes about healthy eating within the CMM. Our findings suggest that indirect communication effects of the food environment on reflective consumption compound the detrimental role of its direct effects.

scholarly journals Preferences for menu labelling formats of young adults in Brazil and in the United Kingdom

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Carvalho de OLIVEIRA ◽  
Ana Carolina FERNANDES ◽  
Rossana Pacheco da Costa PROENÇA ◽  
Heather HARTWELL ◽  
Vanessa Mello RODRIGUES ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Organic Food ◽  
Qualitative Information ◽  
Traffic Light ◽  
Numerical Information ◽  
The United Kingdom

ABSTRACT Objective This pilot study was aimed at exploring preferences of young adults in two different contexts on restaurant menu labelling formats. Methods Five focus groups were conducted with 36 participants, two focus groups with 11 participants in Brazil and three focus groups with 25 in the United Kingdom. Themes originating from the content analysis of the transcriptions were organised around four possible menu labelling formats: 1) numerical information on calories; 2) numerical information on calories and nutrients; 3) traffic light system plus Guideline Daily Amounts; 4) food information with ingredients list plus highlighted symbols. Results In both countries, participants preferred the ingredients list plus symbols format, considered more comprehensive and useful to make an informed food choice. Organic food and vegetarian symbols were the ones considered most important to appear on restaurant menu labels with ingredients list. However, most participants in Brazil and in the United Kingdom rejected the information restricted to calories and calories plus nutrients formats, saying that these would not influence their own choices. Conclusion This is the first multicultural qualitative study exploring preferences of people living in different countries with different eating habits, but where menu labelling is voluntary. Results evidenced similarities in participants’ likes and dislikes for menu labelling formats in these two different contexts. Discussions showed participants in both countries prefer qualitative information than numerical information, suggesting that ingredients list and symbols provide information that people want to see on the menu.

scholarly journals Longitudinal geo-referenced field evidence for the heightened BMI responsiveness of obese women to price discounts on carbonated soft drinks

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261749
Author(s):  
Yun-Hsuan Wu ◽  
Spencer Moore ◽  
Yu Ma ◽  
Laurette Dube
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Soft Drinks ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Obese Women ◽  
Price Discount ◽  
Price Discounts ◽  
Carbonated Soft Drinks ◽  
Field Evidence

There is increasing interest in the effect that food environments may have on obesity, particularly through mechanisms related to the marketing and consumption of calorie-dense, nutrient-poor foods and sugary beverages. Price promotions, such as temporary price discounts, have been particularly effective in the marketing of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) among consumers. Research has also suggested that the purchasing behavior of consumer groups may be differentially sensitive to price discounts on CSDs, with obese women particularly sensitive. In addition, the intensity of price discount in a person’s food environment may also vary across geography and over time. This study examines whether the weight change of obese women, compared to overweight or normal BMI women, is more sensitive to the intensity of price discounts on CSDs in the food environment. This study used longitudinal survey data from 1622 women in the Montreal Neighborhood Networks and Health Aging (MoNNET-HA) Panel. Women were asked to report their height and weight in 2008, 2010 and 2013 in order to calculate women’s BMI in 2008 and their change of weight between 2008 and 2013. Women’s exposure to an unhealthy food environment was based on the frequency in which their neighborhood food stores placed price discounts on CSDs in 2008. The price discount frequency on CSDs within women’s neighborhoods was calculated from Nielsen point-of sales transaction data in 2008 and geocoded to participant’s forward sortation area. The prevalence of obesity and overweight among MoNNET-HA female participants was 18.3% in 2008, 19.9% in 2010 and 20.7% in 2013 respectively. Results showed that among obese women, exposure to unhealthy food environments was associated with a 3.25 kilogram (SE = 1.35, p-value = 0.02) weight gain over the five-year study period. Exposure to price discounts on CSDs may disproportionately affect and reinforce weight gain in women who are already obese.

scholarly journals Recommended Actions in Global Nutrition Initiatives That Link Food Environment and Food Choice

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 565-565
Author(s):  
Ligia Reyes ◽  
Shiva Bhandari ◽  
Shilpa Constantinides ◽  
Edward Frongillo ◽  
Christine Blake
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Change ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Choice ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Web Searches ◽  
Healthy Diets ◽  
Gates Foundation ◽  
Global Nutrition

Abstract Objectives To understand how actions that link food environment and food choice, recommended by global nutrition initiatives, seek to promote sustainable healthy diets. Methods We reviewed recommended actions addressing food environments and food choice by global nutrition initiatives published between 2015 and 2020. Internal debriefing, expert solicitation, and targeted web searches were used to identify 20 documents, with 12 selected for review. Specific action descriptions were used to generate overarching actions present across the documents, were extracted into a matrix, and then were tabulated across overarching actions retaining document affiliation. The content assigned to each overarching action was disaggregated by environmental and individual focus guided by concepts from existing frameworks pertinent to food environments and food choice. Results We identified 13 overarching actions from the documents reviewed, ranging from reorienting agricultural priorities for improved nutrition to creating consumer demand for nutritious foods. The documents differed in the extent of detail describing specific actions. Between 3 and 11 documents were represented in each action. Environmental actions focused on building better bridges across the food value chain, regulation, and investment. Regulation ranged from municipal zoning restrictions of food outlets near schools to national and international strengthening of legally binding agreements for nutrient profiling, labeling, and marketing restrictions. Actions addressing individual behavior were fewer and focused on building capacity with special attention to smallholder farmers and women, recognizing their duality as suppliers and consumers, protecting traditional practices, and applied communication strategies to promote healthy diets. Conclusions Actions portrayed prioritization of environmental change to achieve healthy diets with some attention to sustainability, but much less detail was presented about what, how, or why individuals may consider changes to their dietary choices. Better linking individuals’ perspective into environmental change may propel the success of active global efforts. Funding Sources UK Government's Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

scholarly journals Exploring the Role of the Food Environment in Dietary Acculturation: A Study amongst Moroccan Immigrants in The Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3328
Author(s):  
Jillian O’Mara ◽  
Wilma Waterlander ◽  
Mary Nicolaou
Keyword(s):  
Food Environment ◽  
Food Environments ◽  
Dietary Acculturation ◽  
Traditional Foods ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Food Procurement ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Mapping Exercise

Food environments play a role in immigrants’ dietary acculturation, but little is known about the directionality of the relationship. The objective was to explore the interaction between the food environment and food procurement behaviors in the process of dietary acculturation. A qualitative study design using in-depth interviews and a mapping exercise was conducted. The immigrant group studied used a variety of factors to select which foods to procure. Traditional foods were readily available, shifting the determining factors to a combination of affordability, acceptability and accessibility. The food environment is dynamic and responds to shifting market demands. Policies regarding food procurement behaviors should consider these upstream effects and be aware of the availability of traditional foods for immigrant groups.

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